


What Ever it Takes to Save You

by Kimium



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: A bit of swearing, Attempts to prevent murder, Brief description of Owain's body after falling, Brief mention on the topic of suicide, Comforting, Crying, Cuddles, Death by Falling off a Roof, Established Leo/Niles, Fluff, M/M, Mention of a knife wound, Mention of blood and broken bones, Mention of past loops (and Owain being killed), Modern AU, Murder, Murder attempt, Nightmare mention, Nightmares, Please read my author's note in Ch. 1, Screaming, Slight mention of bad coping mechanisms, Temporary Character Death, Time Loop AU, brief mention of nudity, drug mention, lying, mention of insomnia, premeditated murder, snuggles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:42:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 26,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27584930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimium/pseuds/Kimium
Summary: Modern AU. Time Loop AU."Instantly the smell of cinnamon and leather filled Leo’s nose. Soft white hair tickled his cheek as Niles leaned forward and twisted the lock to the door shut.“What was that all about? Were you trying to catch a cold?”“I…” Leo stared out at the mess of the snow he made on the deck. His brain swirled with the memory of collapsing against the railing and freezing his legs. “I just wanted to check.”“Check what? The snow?” Niles stared at him. “I promise that it hasn’t gone anywhere. In fact, I think the weather network said we got more over night.”“No, not that.” Leo continued to stare outside. “I just…”He inhaled deeply and caught onto Niles’s words. Check the snow? That meant… the body had been a dream? Well, the facts were indisputable. Leo had looked down himself. Just snow and more snow. Not even a parked car."Every evening, around five, Leo witnesses a body falling from the roof of his apartment complex. (Alternatively: Leo needs to save Owain who is having, quite literally, the Worst Day of his Life Ever.)
Relationships: Leon | Leo/Odin/Zero | Niles, Leon | Leo/Zero | Niles
Comments: 26
Kudos: 53





	1. Here We Go Again (I'm Falling Down)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!!!
> 
> Before I start this note I want to let you know that there is some character death even if temporary. There is also some descriptions of blood and broken bones. It's not graphic but it is there. If any of this bothers you please exit my fic. Your health and safety are most important and also up to you!
> 
> I actually started this fic because I was feeling some writer's block with another fic (my guardian angel! Komaeda one). I also wrote this because I stared out my window and watched snow fall. In all honesty I'm surprised that I'm writing a time loop fic. I always never wanted to write one since they require a lot of work. Mainly, figuring out how things go wrong in each loop. That means I do have some notes on the side as I write ahaha.
> 
> This chapter is also Super Long. To be honest I'm posting this because 1) I have the patience of a walnut sometimes and 2) I have a lot of ideas so Ch. 2 may also be long :0 So, please look forward to the next chapter of this fic!
> 
> As always please feel free to leave kudos and or comments as those always make my day! Also, if you want you can check out my tumblr/message me there the link is right [HERE](http://www.kimium.tumblr.com).

Leo stretched languidly and heard some of his bones pop and crack, sending a bit of relief. Dropping his arms slightly, Leo wiggled his shoulders up and down, enjoying the sensation of blood flowing properly. Stiffness had long settled in but no doubt after a long hot shower some of that would fade away. Work was important, after all, and there was a reason why Xander entrusted Leo with a majority of the company’s papers and legal affairs.

Sometimes, both when strangers or news outlets met Leo, they would inevitably why he decided to keep working in the family business. Most would ask with some sort of surprise or incredulous tone, as though Leo’s choice to remain with his family was a baffling conclusion, one that had to be examined. Perhaps, in some other universe Leo wasn’t working for his family. Maybe the Leo of that other timeline had decided to study something else and work somewhere else. It was a concept interesting to ponder but overall worthless as an exercise. What did Leo care about the impossible “what ifs” of the world? People couldn’t live their lives always back tracking on their choices and decisions. That, in Leo’s opinion, was waffling in a half-assed way of living. But that wasn’t appropriate to say in polite conversation so Leo had crafted multiple responses to that question. They all eventually boiled down to some sort of comment on family and the importance of it. Media ate that up and no stranger would press further on something if it sounded personal enough.

Or, as Niles would say, it wasn’t any of their business. Just with a bit more colourful language. Leo was very glad that Niles never appeared in media interviews. It was one of the first few requests Niles made when they started dating years ago. One that Leo was happy to oblige. Leo’s personal life wasn’t anyone’s business but his own (regardless of what the internet may say about it). In the end, business was business and personal life was personal life; just the way Leo wanted to keep it.

Standing up from his chair, Leo gave one final full body stretch before glancing at the time. The clock on the wall stated it was a quarter past five, the second hand ever ticking towards yet another minute going by. Niles would be home within the hour. Leo took a look at the mess on the table and slowly began to clean up. Papers were stacked neatly and clipped together. Laptop returned to the bedroom, along with a couple of pens and highlighters that Leo had needed for some last-minute notes. Once satisfied that he had properly cleaned up, Leo shuffled to the kitchen, ignoring the snow that was slowly piling up outside on their balcony, and opened the fridge. Dinner was his job this evening and that called for something quick and simple. Maybe a quick curry?

Tapping the fridge’s handle for a second, Leo reached into the fridge and pulled out the necessary ingredients: an onion, some garlic, carrots, potatoes, and meat (chicken). Shutting the fridge, Leo went to grab a cutting board and knife before starting to peel the onion. Putting his phone on the counter Leo got to work. Settling himself against one of the kitchen counters, Leo peeled the onion as he stared out the window and door to the balcony. Snow was piling up, even on the railing of the balcony. Some flakes steadily but lightly floated downward, blowing quickly due to the wind. Leo frowned. It was times like this that Leo was eternally glad he lived in an apartment. Shoveling snow during a winter in Nohr would be an utter pain in the neck. Plus, his apartment offered underground parking, negating the horrible job of brushing snow off a car and scraping the frost off the windshield and windows.

Glancing away from the outside weather, Leo finished peeling the onion. Setting it aside in favour of peeling the garlic before cutting everything up, Leo was about to smack the flat of the blade against the clove of garlic when three things happened at once.

First, a blur of something sizable and dark flew downward past Leo’s balcony. Next, a loud thump followed by the sound of something shattering filled the air. Soon, a car’s alarm went off, beeping consistently. Finally, Leo immediately dropped the knife on the cutting board and raced to the balcony’s door. A cold rush of something followed by the harsh pounding of Leo’s heart blurred and blocked everything around him. Fingers fumbled as they pushed the lock down from the door and scrambled to pull it open. A small part of Leo’s brain reminded him that it was cold and he should have a coat and proper winter shoes on. Panic silenced that voice as a rush of cold outside air hit Leo, starting at his legs, crisp, cold, and biting.

Pushing the screen aside as well, Leo hastily stepped out onto the balcony. Instantly his feet soaked up the snow and cold, becoming water on his warm, bare skin. Wind and snow lightly whipped around him and Leo full body shivered. The wetness only added to the instant plummet of Leo’s warmth, his mind screaming at him to get back inside. He took three steps forward and leaned into the railing. The metal burned icily into him but Leo none the less looked down.

Leo’s apartment overlooked a small parking lot, all the stalls meant for visitor parking or drop offs by delivery. The roads were well tread down and some dark pavement showed through the snow. Directly underneath Leo’s balcony was the car with the alarm that was going off. The car itself was completely ruined. The windshield’s glass was broken and splintered, cracked into a thousand green tinted shards. Headlights were on and flashing in time with the alarm. However, the object that had impacted itself on the car had half fallen off, laying limply to the side.

Red. That was the first thought Leo had. Red was dripping, staining the snow underneath. Even at the distance, Leo could see the short blond hair on the man, also stained red at the back. The body lay crumpled, like a doll tossed to the side. No doubt bones were broken, perhaps organs damaged too. Time spun and stopped as Leo’s brain processed the scene below him.

A body.

There was a body. Of a man. Who had fallen (maybe?) from the top of the apartment complex.

A body.

A bleeding body lying face up, gaze directed dimly to the sky.

Leo’s knees buckled and he collapsed against the railing of his balcony. Snow instantly soaked into his jeans and legs, wet, cold enclosing all around him. A scream echoed in Leo’s ears and he realised a second too late that it was his own voice. Everything swirled around him and through the thick haze of hot panic, Leo’s brain tried to push through, screaming at him to call emergency services. That thought rang for a long second in Leo’s brain before he fumbled for his phone, digging numb fingers into his pant pockets. Nothing. Another surge of terror hit Leo as his eyes immediately glanced around in the snow, as though he might have dropped his phone, before he remembered.

His phone was on the kitchen counter. Scrambling upward with wobbly legs, Leo nearly tripped as he re-entered his apartment. Snow and water immediately fell to the floor but Leo paid no attention as he made his way to his phone. With still numb fingers Leo snatched his phone up, shaky fingers swiping upward on the phone icon, to hit the “Emergency call” button under the number pad. The phone rang and rang for what felt like forever, reality still a congealed mess of colour, sound, and the red of the snow under the car. Staggering under the weight of the memory, Leo’s legs once again gave way and he collapsed to the floor.

The phone’s ringing echoed in the distance before a click filled Leo’s ears. A woman’s calm voice followed, asking for details. Leo attempted to open his mouth, to tell her that a man had fallen from his apartment building and was lying in a bed of a broken car windshield, snow, and blood.

His voice stuck together. Reality swirled away into black.

~

Leo woke up in bed, heart pounding, sheets tangled around his waist. Jolting upwards, taking the sheets along with him, Leo wildly looked around. He was clearly in their bedroom. The digital clock on the nightstand read nine in the morning. Beside it was Leo’s phone, plugged in and upside down. Through the window Leo could see the barest hint of sunlight attempting to filter on through. At his side Niles half rolled over, migrating a little bit towards him. Staring at his husband, Leo’s brain took a long second to process before everything rushed at him.

Dinner.

The car alarm going off.

The body.

His attempt to call emergency.

Ripping himself out of bed with a flurry of movement, Leo raced out of the bedroom. His warm feet protested against the cool hardwood, but Leo pushed on forward. Scrambling to the door to his balcony, Leo pulled the blinds to the side with a harsh tug of the cord. Instantly he was blinded by the sun, the clear blue sky, and the white of the snow. On the deck the snow sat clean, pristine, sparking as though a thousand jewels were embedded in it, with no sign of footprints. Unlocking the door with a scramble, Leo pulled it open along with the screen door. The frigid morning air greeted him, snapping away his warmth with greedy little bites and nibbles. Taking a large step, Leo took a step forward, wincing as the snow melted around his foot and turned to water, icy needles beginning to prick at him. Taking a second step forward Leo was able to take a quick look at the street below.

No broken car. No body or blood. No indication of authorities being there. Just an empty visitor parking stall, snow, and cold. Leo stared, his heart pounding. He… hadn’t made that up, had he? Simply dreamed it? The vivid emotions, the burning of the cold against his body that had been real… right? Leo almost took another step forward when warm arms tugged at him from inside. Turning around, Leo stared at Niles, who was staring back at him. His hair was messy and he hadn’t even put on his eyepatch.

“Leo, what are you doing?” Nile’s voice was raised, incredulousness painting every word. “Come back inside.”

He then tugged Leo back inside. As soon as Leo was inside Niles reached out and practically slammed the screen and balcony doors shut, locking them with a quick twist of his fingers. Water pooled under Leo’s feet, the snow melting on the floor. The edge of his pajama pants was soaked, cold, and clinging to his ankles. Instantly the smell of cinnamon and leather filled Leo’s nose. Soft white hair tickled his cheek as Niles leaned forward and twisted the lock to the door shut.

“What was that all about? Were you trying to catch a cold?”

“I…” Leo stared out at the mess of the snow he made on the deck. His brain swirled with the memory of collapsing against the railing and freezing his legs. “I just wanted to check.”

“Check what? The snow?” Niles stared at him. “I promise that it hasn’t gone anywhere. In fact, I think the weather network said we got more over night.”

“No, not that.” Leo continued to stare outside. “I just…”

He inhaled deeply and caught onto Niles’s words. Check the snow? That meant… the body had been a dream? Well, the facts were indisputable. Leo had looked down himself. Just snow and more snow. Not even a parked car.

“Just what, Leo?” Niles reached out and brushed Leo’s bangs aside, brow furrowed. “Is something wrong?”

“No. Maybe.” Leo’s gaze darted back to the balcony door. “I just had a bad dream.”

Instantly Niles’s face smoothed as he once again reached back to pull Leo into a warm hug. “I see. Let’s go back to bed? It’s far too early to be up on a Saturday.”

Saturday. Leo’s brain tripped over itself. Had he dreamed up an entire day? His brain swirled and in silence, Leo allowed Niles to escort him back to bed, plopping Leo down on his side. Niles then left and returned from their bathroom with a towel.

“Let’s dry those off and warm them back up.” Niles said as he dried Leo’s feet. “Do you want to change your pajama pants too?”

“Thanks.” Leo’s voice felt dry and sticky. “Sorry about that. And it will be fine. The snow barely got the edge of them.”

“It’s not a problem.” Niles finished. “Get back in bed. Your feet need to be warmed up pronto.”

Leo did as Niles asked, savouring the warmth and weight of their blankets. His feet instantly felt a little bit better but barely. Niles returned and crawled into bed, making a face when his legs came into contact with Leo’s feet.

“Burr.” Niles muttered but still tugged Leo into his arms, snuggling him.

“Sorry.”

“Nothing to apologise over.” Niles angled himself so he was comfortably resting on his pillow. “So, want to talk about your dream?”

The image of the body filled Leo’s mind and he shuddered. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing? Forgive me Leo, but nothing doesn’t cause someone to step outside in bare feet at nine in the morning. Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it? It’s not good to bottle things that upset you up, no matter how small you think they are.”

Niles’ words hung true. Leo closed his eyes for a moment, banishing the lingering details away. “You’re right. I dreamed that I was finishing my work and then going to make dinner. You were gone to work. Then, as I was preparing the food, I saw a body fall. I went out to the balcony to see what had happened. The body had hit a car, breaking the windshield and there was blood everywhere. I panicked and tried to call emergency services. Then I woke up.”

Instantly Niles’s arms wrapped around Leo tighter. He pressed a kiss to Leo’s forehead. “I see. That explains why you rushed to the balcony. Sounds like a rough dream.”

“Thanks.” Leo curled into the kiss. “It was just a bad dream. Nothing more.”

Niles hummed in agreement and poked Leo’s feet with his own feet. “Ugh, still cold.”

“Sorry.”

“Oh no, nothing to apologise over. This just gives me an excuse to cuddle more with you before I go to work.”

Leo laughed. “In that case I’m no sorry and I’m happy to oblige.”

“Excellent. You’re not getting out of bed until your feet are warm again.”

After some extended snuggling and with feet warmed up, Leo and Niles got out of bed. Busying himself with stripping the bedding off to be put into the wash, Leo allowed Niles to use the bathroom first. The sound of the shower running soothed Leo’s nerves, grounding him into reality. The body had been just a vivid nightmare. Just the product of Leo’s over active imagination. Nothing more. Grasping onto that logic, Leo put the bedding into the washing machine before grabbing their extra set of bedding and making the bed. By the time he finished the shower had stopped running and Niles had opened the on-suite bathroom door to allow the steam to air out. Leo grabbed his own clothing and walked into the bathroom.

One of the main reasons why they had decided to rent from this apartment was due to the on-suite bathroom. With Niles working as an archery instructor and competing in archery competitions their schedules were all over the place. The on-suite bathroom had a long counter with two sinks. Behind them the bathtub was long enough that if Niles and Leo wanted to bathe together, they could relatively with ease. Niles had done a quick clean up of the tub, wiping off the excess water from the walls and around the base of the tub. Niles himself was by his sink, combing out his wet hair and drying the ends of it as he went.

“The bath is all yours.” Niles said as he worked.

“Thank you.” Leo set his clothing down on the counter by his sink. “You’re working today at noon?”

“Yes. Noon till six.” Niles confirmed. “Are you fine with making dinner or do you want me to pick something up on the way home?”

Leo paused, his dream slowly rising up in his mind. He shook it aside. “I’m fine with cooking. The documents Xander wants me to look over shouldn’t take me too long.”

“Okay but if anything changes let me know.”

“Will do.”

Leo began to strip his pajamas off, folding them neatly. He then turned to the shower, double checking the shower curtain liner was still in, before he turned the shower on. Since Niles had just finished his shower the hot water ran faster, not needing time to warm up. Leo stepped inside and began to shower, using the shampoo and conditioner that Niles had left inside. The smell of lemon grass and mint hit Leo’s nose and he allowed it to wash over him, soothing and refreshing. By the time Leo stepped out of the shower Niles was gone but he had flicked the fan on to help with the stuffiness of the bathroom. Drying off and changing quickly, Leo wiped down the tub with a cleaning rag, put his pajamas away, and went to the kitchen.

Niles was by the stove, a pan on, stirring some scrambled eggs. In the toaster Leo could see he had already put some bread to toast. The coffee maker was also on, the smell of coffee filling the apartment. Leo walked over to Niles and pressed a kiss to the side of his face before grabbing two coffee mugs. Making their coffee just the way they liked it (Leo with a bit to of sugar and milk. Niles with just a splash of milk), Leo took it over to their table. The toaster then popped and Leo grabbed two plates and began to butter their toast.

“Thanks, hon.” Niles hummed as he turned the stove off, dividing the scrambled eggs with the spatula. “I got this. Take a seat.”

Leo moved to the table and sat down. He sipped his coffee as Niles brought their breakfast over.

“Here you go.” Niles returned the kiss to the side of Leo’s face before he sat down.

“Thank you.” Leo picked up his fork and began to eat.

“Not a problem.” Niles sat down and pulled his phone out, scrolling through it. “It says it may snow later tonight.”

“Ugh, one good reason to live in an apartment. Shoveling snow is such a pain.”

“Definitely is.” Niles agreed as he piled some of his eggs on top of his toast. “Still, if it’s going to snow, I’d rather it overnight. That way they can clear it by the morning. I dislike driving on slippery roads.”

“Same.” Leo muttered through his eggs. “I’m just glad most of my work can be done at home. No need to visit the office every day. Though, speaking of that I will have to visit later this week.”

“Okay, sounds good. Do you want to take your own car or do you want me to drive you?”

“Either works. I’ll let you know when I’m wanted and then we can sort it out later.”

“All right.”

They finished their breakfast and Leo did the dishes, putting some in their dishwasher. The rest that couldn’t go inside Leo quickly did by hand, setting them to air dry. Niles had gone to the bathroom to brush his teeth and was out as Leo finished washing the last dish. He had also grabbed his bag and sunglasses. Walking up to Leo, Niles kissed him long and sweet on the lips before giving a small hug.

“I’ll see you later.”

“Right. Don’t forget your lunch.”

Niles made his way past Leo to the fridge. “Already on that but thanks for the reminder.”

He then went to the closet and pulled out his coat. Leo walked over to him, watching him getting ready. After Niles was dressed and certain he had his keys, he pressed one final kiss to Leo’s lips before leaving for the day.

Immediately, Leo focused on his own work. Grabbing his laptop from the extra bedroom that was half a guest room and half a space for Leo to store his work, he returned to the kitchen. Setting up at the table, Leo turned his laptop on and got to work. The hours moved along quickly but once the clock hit four-thirty, Leo’s heart picked up slightly. Tail ends of his dream floated in Leo’s mind, dancing like small fragments of another reality cut up into shards of glass. The body of that blond man had fallen a little bit past five… Shaking his head firmly Leo turned to the last bit of work to finish. He was being ridiculous. That had been a dream. Finishing up his work, Leo once again cleared the table of his work and went to the kitchen. Pausing at the fridge, Leo half turned to stare at the balcony door. The blinds were still open from the morning, giving Leo a perfect view outside. As Niles had stated snow was beginning to fall down in soft flakes, flowing by faster due to the wind. Snow was piling gently on their balcony. Leo exhaled deeply. Just a dream. He had dreamed up—

A blur flew past the balcony window. Leo’s heart stopped and time seemed to slow for a second before rushing all at once. Static filled Leo’s ears before the shrill sound of a car’s alarm hit the air. His blood froze. Reality swirled around Leo, blending and blurring until Leo couldn’t breathe. His brain kick started and a second later Leo forced air into his lungs and made his body move to the balcony door. Unlocking it Leo practically ripped the door open with a violent shove. Scrambling to the balcony, similar to the morning, Leo pressed himself against the cold metal railing of the balcony and looked down. There, on the car, which was flashing as the alarm went off, was the body of the blond man, his face glancing upwards to the sky. Red dripped down the metal of the car and into the snow, staining the white a deep red colour. A scream ripped from Leo’s lungs.

This was impossible. He had dreamed this up. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t happening…

Falling into the snow, Leo’s body heat began to melt the snow, creating a cold, wet feeling against his legs, his bare feet screaming in agony as the cold bit and nibbled into his skin. Snow swirled around Leo and fell against his body, his face. All he could do for a long second was stare at the body, stare at the red dripping off it, before his brain reacted.

Emergency. Yes. Leo had to phone emergency. He had tried that in his dream too, but his phone had been in the kitchen. Not now. Leo’s numb fingers clumsily dug into his pant pocket, pulling his phone out. They shook as he hit “Emergency call” and continued to shake even as Leo tried to hold his phone to his ear.

The ringing of the phone combined with the ringing in his mind, swirling and cobbling together into a mess of sound. Everything was narrowing down on the moment and Leo could barely move his lips when the line connected, the operator’s voice calm and even, asking what was wrong. His voice died in his throat and soon reality faded and shifted to black.

~

Leo woke up in bed, the blankets twisted around his body. He was in their bedroom, Niles at his side. Bolting upward in bed, Leo stared at his hands, flexing them to make sure he was indeed in control of his body. At the window light of the morning threatened to poke in through the heavy curtains. Niles shifted towards Leo. Swallowing thickly Leo shoved the heavy image of the body, red snow, and the cold against his legs away and reached for his phone. Unplugging it Leo stared at the dimly lit screen.

Saturday. In the morning. It was Saturday in the morning again. Leo clutched his phone tightly and looked over at the door to their bedroom. It was shut but beyond it was the kitchen, the living room, and the balcony.

The balcony. Where Leo witnessed the body falling for the second time. Something twisted within Leo’s gut and he doubled over, his vision blurring as air became scarce. The room distorted and began to become blurry around the edges. His mind swirled and coiled narrowing down to a single conclusion.

“Leo? Leo!”

Warm hands pulled him close to a warm chest. Leo closed his eyes and smelt the cinnamon and leather coming from Niles. A warm hand circled his back and Niles was deeply breathing against Leo’s head.

“Breathe, Leo, breathe. Follow my pattern.”

Air. Leo forced his lungs to work. The rush of oxygen to his lungs made Leo’s head spin but he followed Niles’s pattern and soon the room around them wasn’t blurring and reality had settled in with the grace of a slab of meat falling to the floor.

“Leo, are you okay? What’s wrong?” Niles’s voice was thick with fear, warm with love.

Leo squeezed his eyes shut and clutched Niles tightly. “I… I’m fine. Sorry. Just… a bad dream.”

Except it hadn’t been a dream. Leo hadn’t ever really been a fan of sci-fi or fantasy works in general but Elise enjoyed them and, in the past, he had sat through a few movies with her. One particular movie had an ever-looping day, continuing the chain until the problem was solved. Leo hated how the truth was disgustingly bitter on his tongue. Something, was horribly wrong and the core to the issue was the body falling and the blond man dying. A death Leo had witnessed twice over.

A death that Leo was certain would continue unless he did something about it.

~

Despite all the assurances to Niles, before he left for work, he was pulled into a very long kiss and hug. Leo had sunken into Niles’s embrace and returned the gestures. Words had fallen from Leo’s lips and uncertainty jumbled in his throat. What could Leo even say to Niles beyond some mild lies about his well being? It would be a stretch to think Niles would believe him, that he was stuck in a time loop, but also Leo didn’t have all the facts. So, as soon as Niles left Leo went to grab his laptop and got to work. A big bonus in doing the work again was the speed. Leo had done it all before. The brain power in working through everything was already completed, so it was as if half the work was already done. When he completed the work, Leo exited out of the work documents and pulled up a blank document. Staring at the screen, Leo quickly began to type.

First, the death. It always happened around a quarter after five. The death was a blond man who fell from the roof top. He would hit a parked car and die. However, Leo narrowed his eyes, that didn’t mean he died from falling. There had been no way for Leo to actually look at the body. For all he knew the man was already dead and his body was tossed off the roof to make it appear as though the fall had killed him. This then narrowed down the general causes of death. One, the man was pushed off the roof top and that fall killed him. Two, the man was dead prior to falling from the roof and the body was pushed off. Three, the man jumped on his own accord, making the death a suicide.

The less complicated cause (but certainly very sad) was the third one. If the death was a suicide there was only one party involved in the death: the man himself. It was a situation where the only one in danger was the man. Confirming if it was option three was simple. Leo could potentially go up to the roof and persuade the man to not jump.

Biting his lip, Leo glanced towards his entry way door. The apartment layout was simple but getting to the roof was difficult. Leo was on the top floor, the sixth floor, and while there was inside access to the roof, it wasn’t open to the residents. Access was only for maintenance or any other work of that nature. At the end of Leo’s hallway was a door leading to the side staircase. Going down the staircase would eventually lead someone to the main entry way or underground parking. Going up the staircase would lead to the door for the roof. It was locked but that meant nothing. A door was a door and with enough force it could be broken. Death from an outside force or death by the victim himself— would they really care if a door was broken in the end? How they got up to the roof was obvious.

Regardless, Leo had to determine which option was the correct one. A simple and easy solution would be to go up to the roof early. If it was the man throwing himself off the roof then Leo just needed to talk to him. If it was a murder then Leo would call 9-1-1. Not the most solid of plans but Leo didn’t have too much to go on. He didn’t even know the man’s name or what he actually looked like. Though, one detail could be strongly assumed. The man had to have access to the building. Either he was a resident or he was someone visiting a current resident. The chances of the blond man being someone who snuck into the building floated for a moment but ultimately Leo dismissed it. For one, unless he discovered some hidden reason, there was no clear motive for the blond man to sneak into the building.

With that, Leo resigned himself to sit around and wait for the clock to tick down. Each passing of the clock was heavy and weighty, as though someone was lugging up an anvil up a mountain. Keeping busy was almost impossible, as Leo’s mind kept wandering and fixating on the time. When the clock finally reached four-forty Leo stood up. Pocketing his phone, Leo grabbed his set of apartment keys. Slipping on his coat and winter boots, Leo left his apartment. Walking down the hallway to the stairwell, Leo stopped and looked up. No one else was coming up. Taking in a deep breath Leo walked up to the roof top’s door.

The door itself was a solid door painted the same neutral beige all the doors were painted. There was no number on the door. Completing the last few steps up, Leo stared at the door, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. Reaching out for the door’s handle, which was a knob that would turn, Leo nearly flinched when the cool metal hit his hand. What if the door was still locked? Leo hadn’t considered too far ahead but it was a possibility. Perhaps he’d wait at the top to intercept whoever was coming up? He’d think it through once he determined if the door was locked or not.

Taking a deep breath in, Leo turned the knob. It turned. Leo exhaled slowly and very gingerly pressed into the door. It moved and Leo’s heart nearly jumped up and out of his throat. Adding a bit of his weight to it, Leo attempted to push the door open. It moved a little bit more before hitting someone with a rather loud clatter.

All at once a few things happened. Leo’s entire body jumped at the loud sound. Next, cold air started to filter in through the crack of the door. A gust of fresh air hit Leo’s lungs and the cold of it burned slightly down. Voices on the other side followed. There were multiple, all of them low, unable for Leo to make what they were saying. Finally, Leo spotted something blocking the door. He couldn’t make out what it was but clearly, they had thrown something in a rush since Leo was still able to open the door a bit.

Some shuffling and sound of footsteps started to come towards Leo. His body jumped but Leo’s mind remained firm. There were other people, meaning multiple people and unless Leo was remembering how murder generally worked wrong, it was coming clear that the blond man hadn’t jumped off the roof by himself.

Still, Leo had alerted them and that wasn’t good. Sure, he had interrupted them without them seeing him but it was enough. What if they tried to kill Leo as well? A witness was a witness after all. Scrambling backwards from the door, Leo grabbed his phone and immediately pulled up the emergency call, hoping in the best-case scenario that his interruption had them postponing pushing the blond man off the roof. Even if the worst-case scenario played out, which was pushing the blond man off, even a few minutes to alert authorities was better than nothing. It could literally be the line between them saving the blond man and him dying.

The ringtone of his phone hit Leo’s ear as he continued to flee the scene, taking two steps at a time downward. Reality had once again blurred around Leo, sound and vision distorting through the heavy lens of panic. He didn’t dare look back to see if anyone was following him. The line clicked and once again the voice of the operator hit Leo’s ears, asking what his emergency was.

“Yes, hello, there are these people,” Leo managed to babble out, “they’re going to push this man off the roof of my apartment building.”

“I understand, sir. Could you please tell me the address of where you are?”

Oh. Right. The address. Leo opened his mouth to tell the obvious information when reality further blurred and shifted, becoming inky and dark, trailing upward and consuming Leo with a furious twist of his ankle and drag downward into nothingness.

~

Leo woke up in his bed, blankets tangled around his waist. At his side Niles lay, lightly breathing. Light from the window threatened to pool in through the heavy curtain. Swallowing, Leo pressed his palm against his heart. It was beating rapidly, a flutter of a pulse racing through his body. The events of his attempt rushed through Leo and soon the ache of his pulse morphed into frustration. Sure, he didn’t have all the details to the timeline but how embarrassing. Certainly, if the day hadn’t looped back over Leo could have been in danger. He had essentially been able to do nothing. All Leo had discovered was a small piece in the overall giant puzzle.

A very, very small piece.

Rolling over, Leo sat up in bed and grabbed his phone. Eight-thirty. In about eight hours the blond man would die unless Leo did something. Getting out of bed, Leo beelined to the bathroom, shut the door, and turned the light on. Barely flickering a glance over to his messed hair from sleep, Leo turned the shower on, stripped, and allowed the hot water to rush over him. The trail end of his last loop rushed at Leo, burning hotly as Leo tried to relax under the spray of hot water.

Leo had been naïve. The situation was delicate and he had botched the attempt by being hasty. Never again. He’d stop the murder of the man. This time, Leo would act smarter, not make an obvious mistake of alerting the killers of his presence. Perhaps the best course of action was to snoop around the door, check it out well before the afternoon even hit. Next, he’d certainly have to get up to the roof early. How early, Leo wasn’t too certain but earlier than four-thirty for sure. He could even phone emergency early, tipping them off. Even if nothing had happened, they couldn’t just ignore his claim that someone was going to be pushed off the roof of a building. Then, they could arrive just in time to catch the people in the act, saving the blond man.

It was a rough plan but it was all Leo had the energy to think up so early in the morning. For now, he needed to get ready. Washing his hair quickly, Leo turned the water off and stepped out to see Niles at the door, yawning behind his hand. His pajama pants hung loosely over his hips, exposing the dark skin. Light hair was also ruffled from sleep and his single good eye was lazily looking at Leo.

“Sorry, did I my showering wake you up?”

“No.” Niles replied. “Waking up without cuddling my husband on a weekend did though. Why are you up so early?”

There was no way Leo could tell Niles the truth. Leo was living the reality and he could barely wrap his head around it.

“I wanted to get a head start to those files from Xander.”

“I see.” Niles walked in and flicked the switch for the bathroom’s fan. “I do hope you’re not pushing yourself too hard. You do have the entire weekend, Leo.”

Yes, but he didn’t have the entire weekend to save the blond man. Leo numbly nodded. “Don’t worry. I won’t burn myself out.” At least, over the paperwork from Xander he wouldn’t.

“Good.” Niles leaned in and kissed Leo on the cheek before draping himself over Leo, hugging him from behind. “Do you need help drying off?”

Leo raised an eyebrow. “I can handle myself.”

“So cold.” Niles laughed before he pulled Leo into a short, sweet kiss. “Later then.”

Later. When Leo had fixed the time loop. It was something to hold onto. Leo would save the man and time would once again continue on.

“Later.” Leo agreed before he pressed another kiss to Niles’s lips.

Niles pulled away after a second, gave a toothy grin, and slapped Leo’s ass through the towel. Leo jumped and shot a look but Niles laughed and turned the shower on. He then stripped with one long fluid motion and stepped into the shower. Leo huffed, ignoring the smile that spread across his face, and finished getting ready for the day. He then folded his towel, hung it up, and went to the kitchen.

Opening the fridge, Leo stared at the contents inside, remembering the breakfast Niles made in his second loop. Grabbing the egg carton and bread, Leo got to work making breakfast. By the time Niles was out of the shower Leo already had breakfast cooked and the coffee on. A role reversal. Leo hid his half smile and got to dividing the food.

“Smells good.” Niles walked up to Leo and pressed a kiss to the side of Leo’s head. “Thanks, Leo.”

“It’s not a problem.”

They sat down and Leo quickly ate his breakfast, barely scanning his phone for the missed notifications from overnight. If he was going to piece together the timeline properly, he needed to get a head start. Anything to give an edge. Stuffing his toast into his mouth, Leo bit a large piece and chewed quickly.

“Woah, slow down, Leo. Your toast and eggs aren’t going to run away on you.” Niles said as he sat down, setting a coffee mug at Leo’s side.

Swallowing thickly, Leo grabbed his coffee and took a long gulp of it. “Thanks, Niles. And I know. I just want to get the work for Xander done early.”

“Yeah, not a problem.” Niles blankly replied. “Also, that’s a noble desire but I’m certain Xander doesn’t want you choking in a frenzied attempt to finish paperwork for the company.”

Leo took a forkful of his eggs. “Don’t worry. I won’t choke.”

“Right. I’ll hold you to that.”

Leo took the last forkful of his eggs, shoved it into his mouth, and stood up. “See? No choking.”

“Uh huh.”

Taking his dishes over to the sink, Leo rinsed them off and put them into the dishwasher. He then eyed the pan on the stove, reaching for it.

“Ah, I’ll wash the rest of the dishes. As thanks for making breakfast. And to give you that head start to the paperwork.”

“Thank you. You’re the best.”

“I always aim to please.”

Leo brushed past Niles and went to the bathroom. Grabbing his toothbrush and toothpaste, Leo took a second to look towards the entrance to their bedroom. He’d have to do the work for Xander while Niles was there, just to appear like everything was normal. A small sting twisted in his heart at hiding things from Niles, but Leo firmly reminded himself it was for the best. Once everything was solved perhaps Leo could explain to Niles what had happened. Half nodding to himself at the idea (which he’d bridge once there) Leo quickly brushed his teeth.

When he re-entered the kitchen, Niles was done eating but was sipping his coffee, reading through a news app on his phone. Walking past him to the spare room, Leo grabbed his laptop and walked back out to set up. Niles silently set his phone down and picked his dishes up, draining his coffee as he walked to the kitchen.

Setting his laptop down on the table, Leo’s gaze caught the balcony and the window. The blinds were still pulled over, obscuring the view of the outside world but Leo couldn’t stop a full shiver running through his body. Leo’s heart sped up and his chest tightened, as though it wanted to squeeze Leo’s heart through his rib cage and out his body.

“…Leo?”

Exhaling roughly at Niles’s voice, Leo practically jumped, his eyes widening. Niles was standing by the sink, dishes done, with a tilted head. A beat passed in silence before Leo’s brain kicked into gear. Niles was waiting on Leo.

“Sorry, I was just thinking. What did you say?”

“I asked if you wanted to cook dinner tonight or if you wanted me to grab dinner on my way home once I’m done work.”

Oh right. Dinner. Leo ignored the speeding up of his heart at the memories of making dinner from the last couple of loops. There would definitely be no time for making dinner and a large part of Leo wanted to tell Niles to pick it up but… that would delay Niles. Something about that sent a very rough shiver down Leo’s spine and a loud voice in his brain told him that Niles couldn’t come home late.

“No, it’s fine. I can make dinner tonight.”

“Okay, sounds good. If you change your mind, just text me and I’ll pick dinner up. I know how you can get absorbed in the work.”

“Right.”

Refocusing his attention on setting up, Leo turned his laptop on and waited for the log in screen to appear. Signing into his computer, Leo opened the documents that Xander had sent him. The familiar words stared at Leo, almost mocking him with the fact they weren’t done despite completing the work twice. The information that Leo needed to fill in danced in his mind, practically filling itself onto the blank document. Focusing on the work, Leo forced all thoughts about the blond man away and got to work. Memory was a powerful tool and Leo found himself falling into a daze of monotony. At this point the work was practically routine.

It was only when Niles tapped Leo on the shoulder did Leo’s work haze fade. Leaning back from the screen, Leo stared at the documents. He was practically done them all and in record time. The clock on the bottom corner of Leo’s laptop told him that Niles was leaving for work. Standing up and stretching Leo followed Niles to the door.

“See you later.” Niles said as he finished properly bundling up.

“See you.” Leo echoed.

Niles leaned in and kissed Leo softly before leaving. Leo watched the door for a long moment before grabbing his own coat and shoes. Exiting his apartment (and locking the door) Leo made his way down the hallway to the stairwell. First thing to do: check the area out. This was indeed a murder and perhaps they had some sort of evidence to make note of. Entering the stairwell, Leo glanced up at the staircase. Same beige door. Taking two steps at a time, Leo reached the top. Pressing his hand to the door’s handle, Leo turned it. Unlike the last time the handle didn’t budge. Locked.

That at least answered one question. They had unlocked the door and had accessed the roof from the stairwell. When they finally went to the roof, they’d block the door with something heavy, but hastily. If Leo had tried hard enough perhaps, he could have opened the door further. Next question to have answered was when they accessed the roof. Leo bit his lip. How early they came up depended on their set up and Leo had read enough murder mystery novels to know that they would want a set up. The classic set up was to make the death appear as though it was a suicide. Not a lot would be needed for that set up. All they’d need to do was make sure any evidence left behind was from the blond man.

But how?

Leo stepped back from the door for a moment. First hurdle would be the snow. There could only be one set of footprints up on the roof top. Even with the wind, it had snowed through the week, giving ample time for it to build up. Their footprints would be all over the roof top. Leo also knew that they were present on the roof with the man. It wasn’t as though they were threatening him at a safe distance; Leo would have seen them at the door.

They also needed to get the man up without a fuss. If someone was going to murder him, Leo imagined he’d be a loud as he possibly could to gather attention. Nothing in three loops. Either they bound and gagged him or they drugged him somehow. Which brought up another question of how they managed to grab the man. Was he in his apartment? Or was he coming back from work or another place?

So many variables with no answers. Leo bit his lip and turned around. Staring at the door wasn’t going to help him sort out the information. There were things he was certain would happen and that was what Leo needed to exploit.

Heading down the stairs, Leo was half way down when two people suddenly walked through the door to the stairwell. Freezing on the spot, it was too late for Leo to hide. The two people were men wearing very non-descript clothing, though one had a very nice bag slung over his one side. All of them stared at one another before Leo broke his gaze. A bit of heat crept up his cheeks. Leo watched the men continue on their way, heading down the stairs, talking slightly audibly to one another. Racing to his apartment, Leo half slammed the door behind him, hating how the heat on his cheeks lingered. Hopefully they didn’t report him to management by saying he was attempting to break onto the roof.

Well, even if they did it was the least of Leo’s problems. Shoving the incident away, Leo glanced at his door. He had a peephole in the door but logically Leo couldn’t just stand by his door all day and wait for the people to arrive. For one it wouldn’t be practical and two, they could easily take the stairs.

No, Leo’s best bet was to phone emergency services before four-thirty. Living in a city meant it wouldn’t take them long to arrive at Leo’s building. Then, Leo could even hide so he could see the people coming. That way he’d have a description when the services arrived and they could grab the right people and not waste time. He couldn’t phone too early or the people could come up with an alibi. No, Leo would have to time it perfectly, have emergency services catch the people in the act of trying to throw the man off the roof top. It would be tricky but Leo didn’t have many options.

The real question was where to hide. Process of elimination told Leo that the stairwell was used to avoid running into people. Hiding there was impossible. No, Leo would have to go outside and wait. That meant he’d have to appear as though he was actually doing something. Shame that Niles had the car. Otherwise Leo could have parked on the street and camped out.

“Oh well,” he muttered to himself, “going around for a short walk should be sufficient.”

~

Time languidly moved through the rest of the morning and early afternoon. Leo once again didn’t work on anything and just sat in anticipation, every nerve on end. When the clock hit around four, Leo left his apartment, dressed for the weather. Then, he went to the stairwell and went up the stairs. Turning the handle on the door to the roof, Leo breathed out when it still didn’t move. Locked. Good. No one was there yet. Walking down, Leo kept going until he was on the main level. Exiting the building, Leo breathed out, watching his breath float in the air before disappearing. Pushing his hands into his coat pocket, Leo pulled his phone out, staring at it for a moment. Four-fifteen. He pocketed his phone and slowly began to walk down the sidewalk and through the open parking area.

As Leo walked, he stopped by the car. Red and broken glass instantly filled Leo’s memory and he shuddered. This was the car. The one that would be totaled if Leo didn’t stop them from killing the blond man. Shuddering, Leo continued his walk down the parking lot, stopping by the entrance to the underground parking. Along the side were the disposal bins for garbage and recycling. While the place had a garbage chute on each floor, sometimes if something was big enough, they would have to take it down in person. Leo stared for a moment, as though he needed to check something, before turning his gaze to the exit onto the street. He’d walk just a little bit down and then promptly turn around. If anyone was suspicious and asked Leo could say he forgot something. Taking one step forward, Leo almost left when a crash echoed behind him, followed by the sound of glass breaking and a car alarm going off.

Icy fingers of fear gripped Leo’s heart and lungs. It hurt to breathe and his body staggered with the motion of turning around. Leo’s brain went off in all different directions but nothing could be processed over the sheer horror of reality immediately crashing down upon him. There, just where Leo had stood not two minutes ago, was the totaled car and the body.

A scream ripped from Leo’s throat as he pushed himself, running towards the car. Icy air cut into his lungs and throat as Leo raced, ignoring how his feet sometimes half slid on the ice that was covered by the snow. No. No. No. Leo had planned everything out so perfectly. He had the timing down. What went wrong? Why did they kill the man earlier? Skidding to a halt, by the car, Leo suddenly and immediately regretted his decision to run over.

Up close the smell of iron and copper hit Leo’s nose. The red of the blood was somehow thicker, darker, and more sinister as it dripped before running like a river down the side of the car. An arm was under the body at an angle that made Leo’s stomach immediately drop and if Leo stared at one of the legs long enough, he was certain he’d lose the contents of his stomach. However, the worst part was the face.

Blond hair was matted with blood and glass. It stuck out at all angles and Leo was suddenly very glad that the man’s hair wasn’t cut too short. He couldn’t see the bare skin of the skull that way. Next, were the eyes that, for a moment, stared at Leo before the head naturally rolled itself backwards, forcing the gaze upward to the sky. As more snow fell and melted against his cheeks, it turned to water and ran down, creating bloody tears.

However, the chest was barely moving in. The man was breathing.

Another scream wanted to leave Leo’s throat but he swallowed it roughly, like swallowing glass. Leo forced himself to go over to the man as he shoved his hands into his pocket, pulling his phone out to call emergency.

“Hang on, hang on.” Leo chanted as he hit the emergency call on his phone’s screen, “I’m calling for an ambulance. They’ll come here soon and you’ll be fine. I swear, I swear.”

The ring of his phone hit Leo’s ears in a familiar hum of desperation. Clutching his phone tightly Leo did his best to not stare at the body, not wonder what he could do to help preserve the man’s life. First aid had never been something Leo had taken and regret welled up in Leo’s body as the world and reality slowly started to fade, twisting and coiling away from Leo.

“Shit, shit no.” Leo took half a step to the man. “Not again. Don’t die.”

Reality didn’t listen to Leo’s pleads. Instead it cruelly continued to fade and drop into inky darkness, swallowing Leo up bones and all.

~

Cold. Blood in his vision. Copper in his nose. Glass scattered everywhere. The horribly mangled body. Phone against his hand. The dial tone of his phone.

Leo’s brain jolted into consciousness, his fingers curling harshly around the fabric of the blankets. Immediately his stomach lurched and Leo scrambled out of bed, half tripping as he made his way to the bathroom. Jabbing himself against the counter, Leo fought back the retching of his stomach. Bile threatened to rise up but Leo held it down, breathing slowly in and out. Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes.

Oh god. The body. The blood. The… everything. Leo winced as the images floated in his brain, colliding with sick weight that demanded it be seen, be witnessed. Leo wanted to slam his head against something to knock the images away.

“Leo! What’s wrong?”

A warm arm wrapped around Leo’s shoulders while another ran gentle circles over his back. The smell of cinnamon and leather waffled into Leo’s nose, easily trying to overpower the memory of copper and iron. Leo gasped out and groaned as his stomach twisted once more.

“Leo, are you not feeling well?” Niles’s voice was soft but tinged with urgency.

“I… I’m fine.” Leo gasped out, shoving all fragments of the memory aside.

“You look pale and were about to throw up.” Niles replied. That’s not fine. Are you feeling sick?”

Taking in a couple deep breaths, Leo forced himself to stand up properly. Niles allowed him to do that before once again resuming his rubbing of circles into Leo’s back. Leaning into the touch Leo closed his eyes, counting silently and slowly to ten.

“Leo?”

“I’m fine.” Leo opened his eyes. “Just felt a bit dizzy. Perhaps I’m staying up too late working.”

Niles gave a very long look a tilted his head slightly. “Perhaps. Are you sure that’s all this is?”

The answer of “no” sat on Leo’s lips but he held it on his tongue. Lying to Niles at any point hurt but if Leo was going to do it, he could at least ease some of his worries. A bit of truth at this point was needed.

“No, I’m not. However, I feel fine now. This could have just been a slight dizzy spell. Maybe I’m coming down with something?”

“You don’t feel too warm.” Niles muttered before he lifted a hand and brushed Leo’s bangs gently before laying his hand over Leo’s forehead. “If you feel any worse through the day let me know, okay?”

Leo’s heart twisted a little bit at the kindness. “I will.”

“Good.” Niles pressed a kiss to Leo’s forehead. “Now, do you want to lie down some more or are you hungry?”

Lying down could lull Leo back to sleep. Sleep that he couldn’t afford (no matter how comfortable and warm their bed was). “I’m hungry. I think I’ll make breakfast.”

“Oh no, I got it.” Niles lightly brushed past Leo. “I’d feel better if you took it easy today.”

Took it easy. If only he could. The lie stung a little bit further into Leo and burned softly with guilt. “Thanks, Niles. I appreciate it. I’ll just… get ready for the day.”

Niles left the room and Leo once again took a shower, allowing the water and heat to wash away the image of the body and smell of blood. In a way, Leo didn’t need to mull over it. Technically it never happened. Shoving all the memories away, Leo finished his shower and stepped out to change.

The sound of cooking waffled into the room but no smell. Leo walked out to see Niles at the stove with a pot on. Turning at the sound of Leo walking in, Niles smiled and pointed to the table, which had a teapot sitting on it.

“I figured you should have something light this morning.” Niles said. “The congee will take a little bit longer. I used the rest of the broken rice so it will be quicker. I’ll buy more today. I also made your favourite green tea.”

How sweet of him to make something light for Leo’s stomach as well as tea. “Thank you, Niles.”

“It’s not a problem. Would you like some toast with your congee?”

“Yes, please.”

Walking to the spare room, Leo once again grabbed his laptop. If he was going to sit around, he should do something productive. Shame he couldn’t plan more when Niles was around but he could at least finish the work for Xander.

“Leo.” Niles gave a soft sigh when Leo returned to the kitchen. “I thought I said you should take it easy. No need to go full tilt into work.”

“It’s fine.” Leo assured as he sat down, turning the laptop on. “I’ve looked through the documents and already know what to write. I’ll be quick.”

“You did?” Niles raised an eyebrow. “When was that?”

Leo froze at the table before he found his voice. “I checked on my phone very quickly. I didn’t do any work though.” Leo turned the laptop so the screen was facing Niles. “See?”

Niles stared at the document for a moment. “You win this round. Just please, take it easy. I know how work is important to you but not over your health.”

“Right.” Leo turned his laptop around. “Don’t worry Niles. I will be fine.”

Pouring himself some tea, Leo began to fill in the document. Working on the document for the multiple time over, Leo found his fingers moving over the keyboard faster as he finished in record time. Niles had barely set the bowl of congee and plate of toast at Leo’s side when Leo finished editing the document, rereading it over.

“Huh. Just took a look, huh?” Niles huffed.

Flushing Leo pushed his laptop over to the side. “Okay so I thought about it in a bit more detail. I didn’t type anything until now.” Technically. Not including the other loops.

“Leo…”

“Sorry.” Leo offered a smile. “But hey, the work is done now and I can enjoy breakfast with my husband before he goes off to work.”

A very small fond smile danced across Niles’s face. “If you’re trying to butter me up it’s working.”

Leo laughed softly. “Come, sit down.”

“Right, right.”

Niles grabbed his own breakfast as well as some coffee before sitting down across from Leo. Pouring himself some more tea, Leo took a spoonful of congee. It was perfectly hot, not too thick (which the leftovers would later), and salted right. Niles hadn’t added anything in it but Leo didn’t mind plain congee.

“So, I was thinking I should pick up dinner tonight.”

This conversation again. Leo half hummed. “I don’t mind cooking. I’m even done the work for Xander.”

“Yes, but I was thinking if you’re already not feeling well it would be nice to give you a break. Please, let me do something to allow your day to be a bit easier.”

Well, when Niles put it that way. “You aren’t worried about getting caught in rush hour traffic?”

“I can order online before my shift ends and then pick it up.” Niles replied. “That can shave some time off my commute. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“Okay. Then could we order from that Thai place?”

“Good choice.” Niles offered a grin. “Same order as usual?”

“Same as usual.”

“Excellent.” Niles beamed. “Speaking of the Thai place Setsuna was telling me about a cupcake place that opened up near it. Want me to pick some up for us?”

Sweets were nice. Leo tried to think of the last time he had a cupcake. It had been far too long. “Sounds good.”

“Then, I’ll add that to my list of things to order later today.” Niles finished off his breakfast. “Don’t worry about dishes, Leo. I got them.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, it’s fine.”

“Thanks.”

Leo finished his breakfast off a moment later, but saved the teapot and teacup. Bringing his dishes over to the sink, Leo pressed a kiss to the side of Niles’s face. The kiss was returned on his lips, soft and gentle.

“You know, we still have a little bit of time before my shift.”

“Niles, are you suggesting something?” Leo stepped back and raised an eyebrow.

“Me? Suggest something? Whatever do you mean?” Niles widened his eye.

“Niles…”

“I’m not asking much. You’re not feeling well. Just maybe some cuddles on the couch?”

Leo glanced over to their living room. They had one couch that ran along the longest wall on the opposite side of the mantle. “Cuddles are fine.”

“Excellent.”

~

The rest of the morning went by quickly. Leo and Niles stayed on the couch with Leo nestled at Niles’s side. On the coffee table directly in front of them sat Leo’s teapot and teacup. In front of them the TV was on, the news adding soft background noise. For the most part Leo enjoyed just being close to Niles, though he couldn’t lie and say no kisses happened. Really, it was almost a calm before the storm. Leo glanced at the balcony window. The blinds were half opened to allow some natural light in. As always Leo could see the snow piled up. His feet twitched at the ghost sensation of cold against them. He snuggled further into Niles.

When it was time for Niles to leave for work, Leo slowly untangled himself as Niles pressed one final kiss to his lips. Niles went to the front to start getting his coat on. Leo went to the kitchen and grabbed Niles’s lunch.

“Thanks, darling.” Niles said as he finished zipping his coat up. “Just like a real housewife.” He added with a grin.

Leo rolled his eyes and shoved the bag into Niles’s hands. “Yeah, yeah. Get going.”

“Love you too.” Niles pressed one final kiss to Leo’s lips. “Take it easy.”

“I will.”

Niles left and Leo turned to walk over to the coffee table, retrieving the teapot and teacup. Now that Niles was gone Leo could really focus on his plan. Making his way over to the kitchen table, Leo almost had just set down the items when something along one of the counters caught his eye. There, sitting on the counter were Niles’s apartment keys. Staring at them, Leo’s brain jolted. Niles definitely needed those. Grabbing the keys, Leo slipped on his shoes and coat, praying that he would catch Niles in time.

Racing down the hall, Leo almost went to the stairwell before his brain flashed and he saw the door in his mind. Hitting the button to the elevator instead, Leo got inside and hit the P for Parking. A few seconds later Leo exited, walking a bit to the door that lead to the underground parking.

The underground parking was as basic of a place as one would expect. It was well lit with many cars parked in their assigned parking. A few stalls had some tires or bikes chained to the side or front. The smell of rubber, gasoline, metal, and wet pavement hit Leo’s nose. Wrinkling his nose at the smell, Leo turned his head and spotted Niles at their car, just about opening the door.

“Niles!” Leo called out. “Wait.”

He glanced up and paused. “Leo? Something wrong?” His brow furrowed.

“No, nothing too major.” Leo assured quickly before holding up the keys. “You left these on the counter.”

“Ah.” Niles then touched his jacket pocket, as though he needed to confirm the keys truly weren’t on his person. “Thank you, Leo. I wouldn’t have noticed.”

“You’re welcome. Here.” Leo handed the keys to Niles. “Drive safe.”

“Always do.” Niles pocketed them. “So, does this mean I get another kiss goodbye?”

Leo gave a look but none the less leaned in and kissed Niles once more. “There. Now, go to work.”

“Yes dear.”

Stepping back, Leo watched as Niles turned the car on and reversed out of their parking stall. Giving Leo one final wave, Niles drove slowly away to the exit of the parkade. Leo turned and headed back to the elevator. He was almost there when something caught his eye.

The underground parking also had some maintenance rooms. Leo knew for a fact that the electric circuits for the buildings and the water boiler were down there. They also had some other rooms for the upkeep of the place, but something off the side in the corner caught Leo’s eye. It was a tall metal looking door, something Leo had never noticed in too much detail. However, at the angle Leo was at he could very clearly see the sign above it.

“Maintenance elevator.” Leo read softly.

He stared. Something clicked in his head. Elevator. For maintenance. The only place that really needed or required such a direct line was to the roof. Suddenly the pieces filled in. Leo gasped out loud and walked over to the elevator. At the side it had the regular UP button but also a keyhole under it for access. That was how they got the blond man up to the roof without being noticed. There was an elevator directly to the roof. Obviously for a regular maintenance person it was useful to bring tools and other heavy equipment up. But for the murderers it was a way to get to the roof without any interference. Getting the key to the elevator wasn’t easy but they clearly had that sorted out.

Leo glanced to the exit of the parkade. They wouldn’t even need to worry about getting inside. Sure, everyone had a fob for getting into the parkade but there was also a keypad to input a code should one lose their fob. All they needed was to know the code that the maintenance used and they could drive inside without anyone the wiser. Then, they could park in the maintenance parking, wait for the blond man and grab him.

This also explained the door to the roof. They purposefully unlocked and barricaded the door a red herring. Their cover up was to make the death of the blond man appear to be a suicide. Then, they would go back down the elevator, get into their car, and drive out like any other resident of the apartment complex. With everyone distracted by the scene they’d flee and no one would be wiser.

Leo whipped his head around to look at the area. He’d need to hide somewhere near by. Hiding behind some of the cars was a good option. If Leo was far enough away that they couldn’t hear or see him then he’d witness the exact moment when they arrived. Killers like them wouldn’t just wait for their target to appear at the last moment. No, they’d set up and be early. This meant Leo had to be earlier than them. Which was easier said than done. How long they gave themselves a window of time to hide out, Leo wasn’t certain, but he could guess.

Stepping away from the elevator, Leo took a quick walk around the area. A little bit away were a whole row of cars, unmoving and large. The perfect place to hide. Leo even walked around and crouched in front of one of the cars, nestled in the shades and shape of the vehicles. Glancing around, Leo gingerly stepped out and headed back to the elevator to the building. Once Leo was back in his apartment, he shut the door and breathed heavily.

The plan for the murder was becoming clearer and clearer. This time for sure, Leo would save the blond man from the horrible fate of being pushed off the roof. Why he had to die, Leo wasn’t certain but there was no way to discover a motive. Without any concrete information on the man, Leo couldn’t research him up. What was he going to look for? Every single blond man aged twenty to thirty? No, Leo would just have to hope that with the information he had gathered everything would work out this time around.

Now, he just had to wait.

Agonising but something Leo had sadly gained some experience in doing. The afternoon oozed by slowly and stiffly, each beat of the clock painful. It was almost as though with each turn of the numbers time itself was attempting to over stay its welcome. However, once the clock reached three in the afternoon, Leo left his apartment. Making sure he was dressed, so it appeared he was actually heading out, Leo went down the elevator to the parkade. Opening the door very slowly, Leo poked his head out, glancing around. The maintenance parking was empty. Good. Stepping out, Leo pretended to make a confident circle around to a parking stall, glancing around to make sure no one else arrived or was driving in. Then, he nestled himself in his hiding spot and waited.

If the owners to the cars decided to come Leo would be very screwed. The only part of the plan that he couldn’t predict in the moment. Leo edged himself over so if he needed to make a quick dash and escape, he could.

Then, more waiting. Leo didn’t dare go through his phone beyond checking the time. The light could give away his hiding spot. The smell of the parkade slowly started to seep in as the time went by and Leo wished desperately for fresh air. Every time someone came by or a car drove, Leo held his breath, as if that would help, and watched. His legs ached and knees burned but once his clock hit four, a car drove in, going past Leo’s hiding spot, and to the maintenance parking. Leo immediately exhaled very deeply and inhaled. This was it.

Leaning slightly forward, Leo watched as four men exited the car. They talked for a moment, their voices whispers, but after a few minutes two of the men walked to the door that lead to the building. Leo’s brain immediately latched onto the one run when he was spotted on the stairs by two men. Were those the two the same people? Leo couldn’t confirm but in a way that made sense. They probably went to scout the building ahead of time. That meant the last run had been potentially ruined by sheer bad luck? Unbelievable.

The other two men left were opening the back of the car, pulling out some equipment that Leo couldn’t see properly at the distance. They continued to talk in low voices so Leo gave up trying to hear what they were saying. Instead, he carefully pulled his phone out and checked the time. About four o’clock. Shifting a little bit, Leo glanced to the entrance of the parkade. Any moment now the blond man would come. Then, Leo could phone the authorities. His heart began to pound rapidly and Leo swore his pulse would burst, staining his neck red. Leo’s palms were sweaty and everything hyper focused on the men in front of him. His phone slowly dug into Leo’s palm as he gripped it tightly, checking the time frequently. Each minute burned and each second suffocated.

Four-o-five.

Four-o-seven.

Four-ten.

Four-fifteen.

Leo exhaled sharply. His last run had ended around this time. The arrival of the blond man had to be dependent on traffic and the route taken. Soon. Leo was certain he’d arrive soon.

Four-seventeen.

Perhaps now Leo should call the authorities? Slowly, Leo went to emergency calls and shifted a little bit, staring at the entrance. No one was coming yet but Leo was confident that the blond man would show up soon.

The door to from the elevators to the main building opened up. Leo watched as one of the men that had disappeared earlier appeared, carting a squirming but subdued blond man. Staring at the scene, Leo immediately looked over to the entrance to the parkade. The man didn’t drive down and park underground. That was odd.

“Our plan nearly went down the goddamn drain because this little shit parked in the parking lot.” The one man’s voice echoed in the parkade. It appeared whispering time was over. “Why of all days did this have to happen?”

“Focus! Don’t worry about minor inconveniences.”

“Minor?! Do you know how hard it was to nab this guy in broad day light? Want to give it a try?”

“Quit it both of you.”

Their voices rang in the air and immediately Leo jumped and fumbled with his phone. This was no time to listen to them curse the blond man out. He needed to call emergency and quickly. Turning his attention to his phone, Leo almost hit the emergency call button when something shuffled over to him and a shadow danced across the corner of his eye. Jolting, Leo’s heart leapt into his throat as he looked up. A flurry of movement flashed across Leo’s eyes before something heavy hit him in the back of his head. Instantly, Leo crumpled over. Darkness danced across his eyelids but consciousness clung on. His phone flew down to his side and suddenly Leo was picked up like a sack of potatoes. The man’s shoulder dug into Leo’s stomach but all he could do was watch as his phone went further and further away.

Voices soon hit Leo’s ears but with the ringing in his ears and dizziness sweeping over his mind, Leo couldn’t make out what anyone was saying. Movement stopped for a small moment and Leo attempted to wiggle, kick, do anything to escape, but his limbs were lead weights, unresponsive and heavy.

The movement started up. A ding hit Leo’s ears. Distantly he noted it was for the elevator. Silence. Then cold air hit Leo’s body. Snow and fresh air danced around him, making it clear he was on the roof too. Shoes walked across the snow, crunching with each step. The world swayed around Leo and then he was on the ground, snow melting against his face, creating a cold cushion against his skin.

“Hey, boy. Look up.”

A heavy boot kicked Leo in the side, forcing him on his back. Gasping at the force and the ache, Leo could only stare up at one of the men. His clothing was dark, non-descript and a bit of facial hair clung to his jawline, as though he had missed a smalls section while shaving.

“I don’t know how you knew about this but you really should have minded your own business.”

Leo opened his mouth, his voice struggling for a second. “Screw you.”

The boot came back heavily against Leo’s side. The pain intensified and the air knocked out of Leo’s lungs for a moment. A moment later the boot rested on Leo’s stomach, stepping down lightly.

“You’re in no position to be pissing me off, boy.” The man then jerked his hand over to a direction Leo couldn’t see. “I don’t care if it was the wrong place and time or some other bullshit. You’ve seen too much.”

Seen too much. Leo’s blood instantly froze. He’d heard lines like that in crime dramas. His world instantly collapsed onto itself, narrowing down on the single reality of his situation. They knew he’d seen them with the blond man. They saw him attempt to call emergency.

There was no way they’d let this slide.

Squirming a bit, Leo tried to stand up, to move, but the man pushed down on him harder with his foot. “Don’t even bother. Sure, there wasn’t enough to keep you entirely immobile but what we gave you is enough to keep you down for a while.”

Gave him? Leo’s mind spun. When did they drug him? (With what was another question but Leo was certain neither question was going to be answered.) No, the more important part was what he could do to help himself. Options were limited and Leo was going to be thrown off the roof just like the blond man. That was the smartest choice they could make. Kill two birds with one stone.

Leo was going to die.

Leo was going to die.

Leo was going to die.

Even if this day was going to loop over again, Leo’s heart twisted, ached, and terror ran rampant in his veins, in his blood, in his lungs. They were going to kill him. He’d die and in one reality this would be the end. Leo would die.

Tears ran down Leo’s face as his brain couldn’t help but conjure the image of his death. Niles would come home with dinner to find his husband’s body. There, in his arms would be a dinner for two that would never be eaten by two people. Niles would never receive an answer to Leo’s death. All he’d remember was how Leo didn’t feel well that morning. No doubt Niles would blame himself, agonise over the last moments of their time together being a kiss in the parking lot. Maybe he would think it was Leo trying to send a message. It would haunt Niles for the rest of his life.

The man picked Leo up with ease, walking closer and closer to the edge. Leo wanted to scream, wanted to thrash and flail, but all he could do was lay limp and feel terror running through his body, unable to escape the prison of his flesh.

“Take a good look, boy. This is who you’re dying for.”

He adjusted Leo’s body so he was face to face with the blond man, who was flung over someone else’s shoulders. Their eyes met and for a moment, Leo saw a silent apology dance over his face.

Sorry. Leo wanted to tell him. Sorry that he couldn’t save him this time yet again. Sorry that he’d failed in this run. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

“Eh, what is he muttering about?”

Muttering? Was Leo speaking? He couldn’t tell. His brain was mush. His mind in broken shambles.

“Who cares? Check his pockets. Make sure it appears like this was planned.”

“Right.”

A rough hand dug into Leo’s coat pockets. A second later the sound of his keys jingling filled the air. “Just apartment keys for apartment 616.”

“Good. Make sure those are inside. That way it looks like he left his place.”

The hand returned to the pocket and then left. “Done.”

Silence.

Leo’s body shifted, two sets of hands grasping at him. He barely had time to register when they let go and he was flying. For a very brief moment, gravity left Leo, allowing him to hover in the air. Then, it grasped at him and tugged him down.

It was instant.

Then.

Snow.

Concrete.

Blood.

Pain. White, hot, searing, pain.

A scream. (Was it from him?)

His wheezing breath.

Leo could barely breathe, barely think through the haze of pain and copper that ooze and permeated the air. Distantly, almost as though it was in another world, the sound of glass shattering and a car alarm going off filled the air.

Darkness.

~

Leo woke to Niles roughly shaking him awake. The sound of a scream cut off in the air and Leo swallowed. His throat was raw, aching. Pain ran up and down Leo’s spine like an electric circuit dancing the current around. Copper and iron clung to Leo’s nose and mouth, like he’d bathed in it and swallowed everything up. Shaking Leo tried to shove the sensation away, take deep breaths (breaths he couldn’t take when he was lying on the sidewalk, bleeding out with broken bones).

“Leo, Leo, Leo.” Niles’s voice was a warm chant, a blanket of comfort.

Instantly Leo’s stomach lurched.

Niles.

In that reality he’d left him all alone. Had been murdered. Tears sprung in Leo’s eyes. Oh god. What had he been thinking? His reckless actions to save the blond man had put both of them in danger and then… he died.

He had died.

It wasn’t real.

But he had died.

**He had died.**

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Leo, Leo. Shush.” Niles scooped Leo up into his arms, pressing a warm kiss to Leo’s forehead, holding him tightly. “Breathe slowly. Breathe.”

Air. Leo needed air. He sucked in the air greedily and cried between his breaths. Salt ran against Leo’s lips and he stained his cheeks. His tears were also staining Niles’s clothing but no motion to move him occurred. For a long, long moment all Leo could do was remain in Niles’s arms and wait for his tears to run dry. When he finished, his sobs turning into hiccups, Leo gently pulled himself from Niles’s arms and looked at him.

“I’m sorry.”

“Leo.” Niles tugged him closer and breathed deeply out. “I don’t know how to ask this. What happened? What’s wrong? This was not normal. You scared me so much, thrashing in your sleep, screaming out…”

“I…” What was Leo to say? He couldn’t tell the truth. Leaning into Niles’s arms once more Leo tried to find his voice, give Niles an explanation that was no where near sufficient but all he could offer. “I had this horrible dream. I was thrown off the roof of the apartment and died. It hurt so much but what hurts more was dying without saying good bye to you.”

“Leo…” Niles hugged him once more. “I hate to say this but that is no way to react to a dream. You were full on panicking and thrashing around.” He breathed in deeply. “Did… something happen to trigger this dream?”

Niles’s words punctured Leo’s heart. The bullseye. The perfect shot. Niles deserved so much more than the half-baked truths (and lies) that Leo could offer. “No, not really.” Leo half whispered. “It just felt so real, so vivid. Dying and believing I couldn’t say good bye to you.”

“Leo…”

“Sorry.” Leo gently pulled away. “Sorry for scaring you. I think it was also a combination of work stress and exhaustion.”

“Leo, there is no need to hide anything from me.” Niles pressed softly. “I’ve seen you stressed from work. I’ve seen you exhausted. You’ve never done this before. Please, talk to me.”

For a foolish second Leo considered telling Niles everything, spilling the truth. His shut his mouth audibly and moved the covers, getting out of bed.

“Water.” Leo numbly said. “I need water.”

A coward’s move but Leo forced himself out of the bedroom and to the kitchen. Niles followed and Leo focused his attention on grabbing a glass and filling it with water. As though if he didn’t look at Niles, he could pretend he wasn’t hovering at the edge of the kitchen. Just like a child’s logic.

He had nearly finished draining the glass when a loud knock filled the space. Leo jumped and nearly spilt the water over his hand. Flashing his gaze to the door, Leo looked back at Niles who was staring at the door.

“Were we expecting someone?” Leo asked, breaking their silence.

“No.” Niles gave Leo a long look, as though telling him the dodging of questions wasn’t going to cut it. “Probably just one of the neighbours. Hopefully they’re asking for a cup of sugar and not why you were screaming. I won’t know what to say.”

Flushing at the small jab, Leo set the glass down and walked to the door, cutting Niles off. “I got this.”

“Sure.” Niles frowned and stepped back.

Carefully, Leo unlocked the door, expecting one of their neighbours. The apology for answering in his pajamas (and possibly for screaming and waking everyone up) fell from Leo’s lips. There, standing in their doorway was the blond man. Leo’s jaw dropped and all he could do was stare and take in the man’s features now that there was no blood, glass, or drugs hazing Leo’s system.

The blond up close was closer to a dirty blond, with some brown mixed in. His hair was spikey save for the sides which were shaved down. A hoop gleamed in one ear and his clothing was very casual. There was a graphic design on his T shirt, referencing some show lost on Leo. His jeans were dark with some rips. Along one arm was a tattoo with dark thick lines but at the angle Leo couldn’t see what it was of.

“Hello, can we help you?” Niles asked from behind Leo.

The man opened his mouth and didn’t even glance over at Niles. “This is going to sound utterly crazy, but you were there, on the rooftop, right?”

What.

“Please,” The man’s face pinkened, “you remember, right? You have to. I’m so sure of it. I heard your apology, how you felt sorry for not saving me again.”

“I…”

A shiver ran down Leo’s spine. He stared at the man, his brain catching up to his words. On the rooftop. His apology. Leo thought he had just whispered that but the man heard him.

He _remembered_.

“You… remember.” Leo breathed out softly. “You remember?!”

The blond man let out a very relieved, strangled laugh. “Don’t do that to me. I was so scared that you’d think I’m crazy.”

“Sorry. I just… wasn’t expecting this. How did you find me?”

“Apartment number 616. That’s what I remember him saying when they checked your pockets.”

Oh. Right. That was what the man read off his keys before tossing Leo off the roof. Suddenly, the disjointed timing of the last few loops clicked. The man was just like Leo: he remembered the loops. He too was actively trying to save his life. That was why he messed up their plans. There was so much more to ask. Now that he knew the man was aware this changed everything regarding planning. Leo took a step forward.

“Hold on.” Niles’s voice tugged Leo firmly back to earth. “What the hell is going on?”

The blond man’s cheeks pinkened and he glanced wildly at Leo, eyes widening. Leo exhaled very slowly and turned to Niles. He had his arms crossed.

“Leo. You have some explaining to do.” He then shot a look at the blond man. “And you too. Get in here.”

“I… um…”

“I said get in.” Niles added with a stronger glare.

The blond bit his lip, glanced at his sides, before he gingerly stepped inside and shut the door behind him. “Er… hello?” He shuffled a little bit.

“Kitchen table now.”

They followed Niles, who pointed to one of the chairs. The blond man sat down. Leo did too and he watched as Niles just circled around, remaining standing, arms still crossed.

“Now. Explain. Both of you.”

“Um…” The blond shuffled in his seat a little bit before he breathed out slowly. “I suppose I’ll start with my name? I’m Owain.”

“Leo.”

“…Niles.”

“Nice to meet you.” Owain added very politely before he continued. “I know this may sound crazy but I’ve relived this day multiple times over. It always ends with me being murdered and I suspect, for Leo, he’s been re-witnessing my death multiple times over, am I right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nohrian Winter: Listen. I'm Canadian and I'm Channeling some of my grievances to the minor inconveniences of Winter.
> 
> Walking out in bare feet: I actually opened the door to my place and stepped outside with my bare feet into the snow just to write this scene. 
> 
> Archery Instructor: I honestly cannot think of Niles doing a regular 9-5 job. My default job for Niles is always something to do with archery.
> 
> Driving: I looked it up and you can drive if you have one eye (though there are some steps you need to go through in order to officially put that through).
> 
> Congee: Rice porridge. I honestly could not think of anything else to eat when feeling sick since that's what is just Made in my family when sick.


	2. The Eighth Loop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!!!
> 
> Sorry this chapter took me so long!!! First, I had holiday gifts to write in December. Next, this chapter was challenging to write. Working out the time loop stuff as well as how to save Owain was challenging. I had vague ideas that I had to spend a lot of time fleshing out. Regardless, I did end up having fun, but sadly I didn't get to write some scenes I thought I could write. A big part of that is simply my mental energy. I want to finish this fic but I don't have the energy to write some additional scenes right now. Maybe later I will. Still, I hope you like this final chapter.
> 
> As always, please feel free to leave kudos and or comments. Those always make my day! Also if you want to check out my tumblr the link is right [HERE](http://www.kimium.tumblr.com).

Owain’s words hung over the kitchen, heavy and thick. Leo shifted in his seat, swallowing subtly, hating how Owain’s words stuck in his throat. Even though the realities of Owain dying (and subsequently Leo the one time) technically weren’t real they still clung tightly in Leo’s head, swirling and floating around with the same freedom as dandelion seeds. Owain remained planted in his seat, gaze fixed on Leo, eyes wide, mouth half parted as though he quickly needed to add on more words, ease the air. Jumping internally Leo reminded himself that he needed to answer Owain, assure him that his claim was not unfounded (crazy as it was).

Niles, however, sucked in a breath, stopping whatever minor pacing he’d been doing. He glanced downward at Owain, mouth half parting before he whipped his head up to stare at Leo. Leo returned the gaze quickly. He couldn’t keep Owain hanging for an answer any longer. He needed to answer him. Slowly, Leo opened his mouth.

“Get out.” Niles said before Leo could muster a single syllable. “I don’t know how you managed to convince my husband to play along, but try with a better story next time.”

“Wait, you’re the one who invited me in for an—"

“And I’m also the one to tell you to get out.” Niles pointed to the door.

Owain’s eyes widened and he immediately snapped his gaze to Leo, eyes wide and pleading. “Leo, please help me.”

Clicking his teeth once with an absentminded shutting of his jaw, Leo forced himself to stand up and walk over to Niles, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Niles, please. I know this sounds impossible, but Owain is telling the truth.”

“You’re kidding me.” Niles’s mouth dropped open but he didn’t make an attempt to move away from Leo, so Leo considered it a victory. “You’re honestly playing along with this joker?”

“Joker?!”

“I am not playing along with anything.” Leo ignored Owain’s outburst and fixed his gaze on Niles. “Owain is not making anything up. I wish he was but he isn’t.”

A beat of silence hit the air before Niles sucked in a very audible and deep breath. “Fine. Let’s assume I believe you. How can you prove Owain is telling the truth?”

Evidence. Leo’s mouth dried. He couldn’t just cite other timelines. Niles had no memory of them. Their actions had already changed a lot in the morning, namely this particular interaction. Leo couldn’t also let the day play out. That was cruel to Owain and Niles wouldn’t remember the day even happening once they hit “reset”.

“At eight thirty-five this morning,” Owain suddenly blurted out, “on the main floor by the elevator. A middle-aged man will get on the elevator. He is yawning and blinking to keep himself awake. In his hand is a cup of coffee from that one café down the street. He’ll walk into the elevator but trip before entering it, spilling his coffee down his shirt. The coffee appears to have milk in it. He then proceeds to curse under his breath before the elevator door closes.”

Leo blinked. Niles stared. Owain took in a deep breath, face slightly red from spitting out his words. Niles then narrowed his single eye.

“How do you know this?”

“I’ve tried going to work as usual in three of my runs.” Owain promptly replied. “I was getting off the elevator and witnessed it. Go check it for yourself. If that doesn’t convince you I have other examples.”

Another moment of silence filled the kitchen. Niles huffed and turned to the door. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. You stay here, weirdo.”

“Me?” Owain pointed to himself.

“Who else would I be talking to?” Owain’s mouth shut firmly. “I’m going to verify your claim.” Niles then turned briefly to Leo. “Do you mind staying here as well, dear?”

Out of the corner of Leo’s eye he saw Owain half pout and huff at Niles. He held back a small laugh. “Don’t want me coming with you?”

“I do, but I want that weirdo staying put and I don’t trust him.”

Niles didn’t lower his voice. Leo withheld a sigh and took a step forward, touching Niles’s face very gently. “His name is Owain.”

A small twitch ran through Niles’s face, his eyebrows only barely moving to show the motion. Leo didn’t move his hand and watched as Niles very slowly put his hand to Leo’s touching it and pulling it off his face with a warm thin smile.

“Owain. Right. I’m still suspicious.”

“Fair. Our claim is bold.” Leo agreed. “Just go downstairs with an open mind. I’ll remain here.”

“Thanks, Leo.” Niles squeezed his hand before letting go of it and walking out the door.

Leo waited a moment and then turned to Owain. Owain was still sitting at the kitchen table. “Sorry about that.” Leo rubbed his head and walked over to the table, standing adjacent to Owain.

“I don’t blame him. If I was in Niles’s shoes, I too wouldn’t believe my story either.”

“Well yes,” Leo trailed his fingers along the wood of the table slowly, “but I meant how rude he was being.”

Owain shook his head. “Thank you but there is no need for you to apologise for his words. He’s suspicious and worried. Those make one defensive and while I don’t relish being called a weirdo, I think his heart is in the right place.”

Leo’s lips pulled into a small smile. “You’re a very kind person, Owain.” Leo watched as Owain’s cheeks pinkened. “Want some coffee? Or tea?”

“Oh, uh, tea is good. Green tea, if you have it. Thanks.”

“We have multiple kinds from Hoshido.” Leo informed Owain. “My personal favourite is hojicha.”

“That’s a good tea. I’d like to have some of that.”

“Okay.”

Leo grabbed the kettle and filled it up to the max line before plugging it in and flipping the switch. He then rustled around in the cabinets for the tea and teapot. Once he finished prepping the teapot Leo was about to lean against the counter when the door opened, Niles stepping back inside. Biting his lip to immediately ask Niles if he had seen what Owain had described Leo watched as Niles walked to their kitchen table, stopping short of looming over Owain’s side. A long second passed. Then, Niles heavily sat down in the chair beside Owain.

“I still don’t fully trust you. I’ll only trust you because I trust Leo.”

“That’s fine. I’m not asking for full trust, just help.” Owain replied.

“A plan.” Leo half interjected. “We need a plan. One that will work out this time for sure.”

“Yes, that is the idea.”

Right. A bit silly of Leo to announce it like that was a revelation. Ignoring the flush on his face, Leo coughed lightly. “I’ll grab my laptop. Writing things down will help and also we need to get Niles up to speed.”

Niles subtly nodded and Leo walked to grab his laptop. When he returned the kettle had clicked off, steam rising from the spout. The teapot was sitting on the table with two cups already full, Owain cradling his cup, sipping the tea carefully. Leo sat down across from Owain and Niles poured him a cup.

“Thank you.” Leo gingerly set his laptop down.

“Not a problem.” Niles flicked a very soft smile to Leo.

Returning the smile, Leo quickly pulled up a blank document on his laptop. There was a lot to go through. Best get started and the most logical place for that were to write down the attempts.

“Let’s catch Niles up to speed.”

“Ah, yes.” Owain shifted in his seat. “Basically, I’ve attempted seven runs of this day.”

Leo sucked in a deep breath. Seven runs? Seven different attempts to save himself and all ended in being murdered. Leo mentally counted his runs. Five. He’d seen five of them, all of them ending in the same brutal end.

“My first two runs weren’t too impressive. I thought it had been a terrible dream the first time. I attempted to run through my regular day, waking up, going to work and the like. However, they caught me and threw me off the roof of the building. My second run I attempted to stay inside, not leave my apartment but they broke in and—” Owain made a small downward motion with his hand.

“You didn’t try phoning the police?” Niles asked.

“Third run in. I phoned them. Regardless of the fact I had no concrete evidence if someone claims they had a death threat it’s not something to dismiss. Didn’t realise they have a person on the inside. I was still thrown off the roof that run.”

“What about friends or family? Certainly, their plans could not extend to more than one person.” Leo pressed.

“Fourth run in.” Owain dully said. “At first I worried about their safety but I came to the same conclusion as you. I drove home, surprised my parents when I called them to let them know I wanted to see them. They still found me when I arrived at my parent’s place in the middle of the day. Even if my parents were at work and I was alone, I put up too much of a fuss for them to remove me without someone noticing. The only death not due to falling.”

Wait. What? Leo’s eyes widened and his fingers stopped moving across the keyboard. Not by falling? Then how? Opening his mouth Leo then swallowed and held his tongue. He didn’t need to know how they killed Owain. The gory details in that case weren’t necessary.

“My other two runs weren’t too different. I tried to move around, not stay in one place. I went to various friend’s places and then hotels or motels that don’t ask for credit cards. Still died on the same day.” Owain gripped his teacup tightly. “Every time the fear they’d hurt my friends curled around me but killing others is something they avoid unless it can be framed as an accident.”

Like what happened to Leo. He numbly nodded and added it to his notes. “What about your seventh run?”

“Oh… that.” Owain shifted in his seat. “I sort of tried to gain more information on them.”

“What?” Niles stared.

“I’d hit a dead end in my knowledge to what their motives and intentions were. I tried to shift a few things up, like parking on the street but… yeah I didn’t really think my spying out properly and ended up dead.”

Along with himself. Leo shoved the memory out of his head. “Okay, so now that we have a clearer idea to what you’ve tried—”

“Hold on a moment.” Niles cut in. “I have a question. How did you even realise Leo remembered your loops?”

Shit. Leo had told Niles about his death but framed it as a dream. Niles of course, hadn’t thought it was real and no doubt with all the strange things he’d forgotten about it. But now, if Owain told him…

“In my sixth run.” Owain answered blissfully bulldozing along. “Leo saw me as I was dying. I half remembered his face but I truly realised he knew in our last run, when he apologised to me up on the roof for being unable to save me again. Which,” Owain thickly swallowed and looked at Leo, “I’m also sorry.”

Niles’s eye, for a split second widened and Leo watched his hand tighten into a ball. Hot panic washed over his heart, threatening to choke and suffocate. The room stuck to itself, like saran wrap folding onto itself.

“Leo,” Niles very slowly said, “you were up on the roof with Owain in the last run?”

“I,” Leo forced his mouth to work, “I was. It doesn’t matter.” He hastily added.

Niles opened his mouth but his single eye darted to Owain. Leo’s heart skipped several beats before Niles very roughly exhaled and tightened his hand. “Never mind. We have more important things to discuss and sort.”

The tightness in Leo’s chest slid slowly downward, nestling in the crook of his rib cage, squeezing like an iron ball of guilt. Leo roughly nodded and shoved the guilt deep inside. Later. He didn’t want to potentially ignite an argument with Niles in front of Owain.

“Right. Uh, anyways, now that we’re all caught up in our timeline, I also have a few questions for you, Owain. First, who are the people after you and why do they want you dead?”

“Ah, well,” Owain shuffled in his seat, “you’ve heard of that cult that worships Grima out in Plegia, right?”

“The Grimleals?”

“Yeah, those people.”

“I thought most of that cult was taken care of after their very public attempt and failure to get rid of Exalt Emmeryn.” Niles added.

“You’re right. Their attempt on Aunt Emmeryn failed and most of them were caught. This group that keeps coming after me is a small fraction of that cult. I’m certain. As to why—”

“Hold on.” Leo cut in. “Aunt Emmeryn? You’re related to the Exalt of Ylisse?”

Owain’s mouth clamped shut tightly. “Uh… yes? She’s my mother’s eldest sibling. Er, anyways as to why they are targeting me it’s clearly related to my Aunt and seeking revenge for their failed plans. That’s at least my best guess. I never was able to ask before they repeatedly murdered me.”

Fair enough and honestly that was probably all they needed to know to work on saving Owain. They weren’t creating a case file for court, just trying to clear some mysteries surrounding Owain’s repeated death.

“All right, so that also leads into my next question. How is time even looping?”

Owain stared at Leo before shrugging. “I honestly have no idea why. Well, that isn’t one-hundred percent true but my guess isn’t even a theory.”

“It’s better than nothing.” Niles helpfully pointed out.

“Yeah, right.” Owain pursed his lips. “How familiar are you with Ylissian legends?”

“Huh.”

“Er,” Owain’s ears turned slightly pink, “we’ve established I’m Emmeryn’s nephew, yes? Legend states the Exalt serves and is protected by Naga… the opposite of Grima? When I was younger, I really bought into the legends, but grew slightly out of them. Yet who else could be the cause of the loop?”

Ah. Leo raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re suggesting that Naga, a god only mentioned in myths and legends is causing this time loop?”

Owain’s ears darkened to a red. “Well, what else would be causing it? I may not be the smartest regarding science but I don’t think we have a lot of research on how time loops even occur.”

“Good point.” Niles half laughed. “Well, regardless of what’s causing this time loop, we need to fix it by saving you. We need a plan.”

Niles was right. Leo glanced at his computer screen and what he had written down. Knowing how Owain’s runs had gone wrong was half the battle. What they did with the information was key. Tapping his fingers on the keyboard, Leo reread the notes. Owain had done either one of two things. He’d either denied what had happened or attempted to avoid it by holing himself up or escaping. Yet, nothing had succeeded. His murderers always found a way to kill him regardless of their plans going awry. It was impressive, given how a murder plot hinged on everything going smoothly in both the lead up, execution, and get away. Most normal people would panic and…

Wait.

Panic. Leo’s eyes traced over the fourth to sixth attempts. Owain had moved around in all of them but in the fourth attempt Owain claimed they killed him in a different way… perhaps the details were important.

“Owain,” Leo’s voice sounded hollow, disjointed, “sorry to ask this but how did they kill you in your fourth run?”

“Huh?” Owain’s voice half raised. “Um… they…” He placed a hand over his heart.

A stab to his heart. Furrowing his brow, Leo counted back. Owain’s fourth run was his second time witnessing the death. Leo had seen all of Owain’s deaths and all of them had been seeing him thrown off a building. But… that had been Leo assuming. He’d only seen Owain up close twice.

“You were already dead in my second run.” Leo breathed out, eyes widening. “So, why would they go through all the trouble?”

“Trouble?” Owain tilted his head.

“Think about it.” Leo urged. “Fourth run: you go to your parent’s place and once there they still tracked you down. The smart move would be to wait for another opportunity to kill you. Yet, instead of waiting they follow through with their plans, hoping they’ll work over this small inconvenience But, you further mess their plans and now with no other option they kill you right then and there.”

Owain stared at Leo before his eyes widened too. “You’re right. That’s very messy and not accidental… so they panicked.”

Exactly. Leo nodded before pausing. Simple panic was enough for them to throw their plans out the window? No… there had to be something else. If Leo put himself in the killer’s shoes, what would they think about Owain suddenly packing up and going home? Or rather, packing up and going anywhere else. A simple trip was the best-case scenario. Worse-case…

“Worse-case.” Leo gasped out. “You leaving suddenly could potentially mean you’d figured out your life is in danger. They panicked further. Your family is powerful and if you told them that your life was in danger, they’d take it seriously and then their hands would be tied. It would only be a matter of time before their plan was found out. So, what did they do? They killed you hastily before quickly bringing your dead body to the apartment building and tossed it off the roof.”

“Wait, they did what?” Owain paled and spluttered before shaking his head. “But… any examiner worth their salt would know I died earlier.”

“Or they have someone on the inside there too.” Niles pointed out. “Which is still risky. There is no guarantee only their person would examine your body.”

“Right.” Leo nodded. “But that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is how Owain died. They were sloppy and careless due to panic. That’s the key. We just have to make them panic. No one besides the three of us know that time has continually reset. For them it’s their first time.”

“I see.” Niles muttered. “Owain needs to act suspicious enough for them to panic. Then, we lure them into a trap of some kind, something that incriminates them, catching them in the act.”

“Panic them…” Owain repeated. “Me moving around freaked them out enough. What if I just drive around, making it look like I’m going somewhere? They’re no doubt tailing me but won’t do anything in a public place. So long as I can panic them enough and then sloppy decision and bam, done. Or… at least will work if I have a place to end up, somewhere where they’ll feel comfortable attempting to kill me.”

Leo nodded. “We need to make sure they believe you’re aware that your life is in danger. If only we could have you do something super suspicious like changing cars. But we only have your car and our car. You need to be alone up until the very end.”

“Yeah…”

Niles stared at Leo. “Leo, what are you talking about? We have two cars.” Wait. What? Leo whipped his head around to stare at Niles. “Leo… did the panic of a time loop make you forget that we have another car in the spare parkade? I mean, we did only move it from the main estate a couple weeks ago, but it’s here.”

A spare car. Leo’s brain suddenly kickstarted. Niles had mentioned the car in one of the early runs… a very dark pink filled Leo’s face. “Er, right. I um… may have forgotten.”

“I suppose that’s acceptable.” Niles half laughed. “Given the circumstances.”

Coughing lightly Leo attempted to push his flush back. “Anyways, this means we can have Owain change cars while we still have our own.”

“Great.” Owain gave a rather enthusiastic smile. “So, now we need to figure out where I’ll end up so we can catch them. Any idea where?”

Leo returned the smile with a grin.

“Easy. We just need to have them ambush you in a place that will have security come silently but quickly without us needing to alert them ourselves. Thankfully I know the perfect place. So, here is our plan: there is an office building we have near the outskirts of town. We lure them inside and have the silent alarm system go off. That will alert the authorities. We call 9-1-1 and keep the pursuers inside and then have them get caught in the act of almost killing you and we're done.”

Niles and Owain stared at him.

“Leo… while that certainly has us putting them at a disadvantage so many things can go wrong. If they get Owain before help arrives then the loop resets. Or if they hear the 9-1-1 call, you’re toast.”

“I know.” Leo bit his lip. “That’s why we need someone who knows the building well… can lead them on a wild goose chase. Someone who looks like Owain…”

“Stop right there.” Niles glared. “You’re not suggesting what I think you’re suggesting.”

“I am.” Leo pushed. “I act as bait. Owain hides. You stay outside and call 9-1-1 so they don’t hear it.”

Immediately Niles stood up, glaring at Leo. “No. Being bait is risky enough but you don’t want me there, inside, helping you out?”

“I agree with Niles.” Owain added at the same time. “You can’t put yourself at risk. If we mess up and I die then the loop simply resets. You die and the loop won’t reset and we’ll have to reset it ourselves…”

“You will be helping us. Just outside and safe.” Leo pressed looking at Niles. “Plus, we need a story for the authorities and a possible getaway if things don’t work out properly.” He then turned to Owain. “And I know that but resetting the loop is the worse case scenario and just… please listen to me.”

A long second passed between them before Niles roughly sat down. “You have five minutes.”

“Okay.” Leo surged on ahead. “Don’t interrupt me.”

“Time’s ticking.”

Leo huffed. “Anyways, as I was saying my full plan is…”

~

Leaning into the driver’s seat of his car, Leo double checked his phone. Niles would arrive any moment now. Around him sat multiple cars in front of a large mall. People bustled around him, only paying attention to themselves and their destination. A tree among a forest. Within the day more people would come to the mall, while others left. A steady stream of traffic. No one would notice the car sitting in the parking lot and no one would complain given the distance from the entrance to the car. Far enough away that Owain could find it with the bonus of most people not parking so far unless they were desperate for a place to park. Convenience was a commodity people wouldn’t take heed of until it was threatened.

A car pulled up beside him and his phone lit. Leo immediately got out of the car, locked it, and opened the door to the other car, sitting in the passenger’s seat. Niles immediately took the car off of park as Leo hastily buckled himself up.

“Have the documents with you?”

“In my pocket.” Leo patted the side of his jacket, feeling the documents in the hidden pocket.

“I don’t know why you insisted on bringing actual documents. Not like anyone will question you.”

“I want this as authentic as possible.” Leo replied. “Just in case. Plus, it adds realism to our story.”

“Right.” Niles hummed before making a turn. “We have time. Let’s grab a quick lunch.”

Lunch. Leo’s stomach grumbled, reminding him of skipping breakfast. “Okay, let’s.”

“Any specific place you wish to go to?”

“No, just as long as we don’t take too long.”

“Sounds good.”

The city passed by them, Niles expertly navigating. Leo leaned against the window of their car and checked his phone. Useless since Owain wouldn’t text him until their plan really swung into the final act. All Leo could do now was hope Owain was all right.

“Leo.” Niles suddenly spoke.

“Yes?”

“There really isn’t a good way to bring this up.” Niles tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “But you were on the roof in Owain’s last run.”

Leo’s blood ran cold and he straightened up in the seat, glancing at the road. “Is this a good time to have this conversation? You’re driving.”

“Can’t really talk about it in the restaurant and waiting only makes it harder for me.” Niles slowed the car down, stopping at the red light. “If Owain was pushed off the roof then you were pushed off too, right? That means your dream…” His voice slightly cracked.

“I’m sorry.” Leo wished he could reach over and touch Niles’s face, press kisses to his lips. “I was reckless and foolish. I’m fine now. It’s fine now.”

Niles sucked in a deep breath. “It isn’t fine but we can talk about that later. I just want you to promise me something. Promise that you’ll trust me next time. I know I was… rude to Owain but even if it’s farfetched if it comes properly from you… I’ll listen, okay?”

Leo’s heart ached and the blood rushed hotly through him. “Niles… I promise. Sorry again.”

“Thank you, Leo. Love you lots.”

“Love you too.” Leo bit his lip.

“Good. Now, let’s have lunch and save Owain.”

Leo let out a half-broken laugh. “Right. Let’s.”

~

Lunch was pleasant, albeit a bit quick. Conversation dried up and Leo could barely taste the sandwich and soup Niles had bought for him, only registering that he was eating due to the warmth and weight of the food in his stomach. People passed by them, chatting, walking, and focused on their personal matters. The world turned and moved normally, no one else even pausing to wonder if perhaps they’d experienced the same day over and over again. Nothing had changed for the rest of the world. Leo’s stomach twisted slightly but Leo forced it to calm down by finishing off his tea. On the table sat his phone, blank and dark for a moment before lighting up with a message. Almost with a lunge, Leo reached for his phone, scrambling to see the message.

 **Owain:** _Picked up your car. Looks like traffic is getting busy. Give me about twenty-five minutes?_

Leo gripped his phone tightly and swallowed thickly. His heart beat rapidly in his chest as his mind quickly broke apart Owain’s message. They were panicking and speeding up their plans. Owain was on his way to their meeting spot. It couldn’t be this easy, could it? Things were going smoothly. Perhaps too smoothly? Leo shot that idea down and stood up.

“Owain’s on his way.” Leo’s voice shook slightly. He inhaled deeply, forcing the bubbling anxiety down his throat, wincing as it popped inside of him like a carbonated drink.

“We better drop those documents off then.”

Forcing his legs to move was a task but Niles followed and soon curled his arm around Leo’s shoulders, squeezing lightly, subduing the shaking Leo hadn’t noticed. Flashing a soft smile at Niles, Leo leaned lightly into him before opening the door and sitting in the passenger’s side. Niles smoothly got in on the other side and soon they were driving down the familiar street to the office. Time passed numbly and Leo only jolted to action when they arrived at the office building.

Their company, much like many companies had different buildings and branches across town. While most were scattered around the city the one Leo was targeting was this one, the one slightly on the outskirts of town, straddling the line of urban and highway. Falling slightly out of use, the building held a stagnant air, a place that saw semi-frequent life but mostly silence. Few hints of people visiting the building existed but were present. It was also the one that Leo frequented, preferring the quieter air of the building. Steeling himself, Leo glanced over at Niles, who had parked the car, his one hand gripping the stick shift.

“We got this.” Leo pressed his hand over Niles’s smoothing the skin. “If we don’t…”

“If we don’t, I’ll personally make sure the loop resets and hope I remember all of this.” Niles replied.

Another loop resetting. Leo’s heart twisted and burned within his chest. There was only one way to reset the loop. Hopefully things did not get to that point.

“Right.” Leo muttered before he opened the car door. “We’ll be careful. Don’t be spotted and don’t come inside.”

Niles reached over and pulled Leo to him, pressing a short but desperate kiss to his lips, frowning as he pulled away “I’m still not pleased, but you better be safe. If you don’t come out of this alive, I’ll kill you.”

Nodding, less Leo give in a kiss Niles again, he stepped out of the car and glanced up at the building. Exhaling very sharply Leo walked up to the front of the building and pressed his pass to the machine. The door buzzed and Leo pulled it open, stepping inside. On the panel mounted on the wall to his right a loud beeping sound filled the room. Opening the panel up Leo quickly disarmed the alarm. The sound cut off immediately. Leo waited about a minute, staring at the panel. It was a normal alarm panel for security with a number pad and a few other quick command options.

On the one side was the usual one for alarming the system faster and another button for help. However, under those was another button. The icon simply had an outline of a door with a person inside of it. In a normal house this button would make it so people could be inside and move but the door itself was rigged to sound an alarm if it was opened. But, in an office building such as this it could also be set on silent… Leo pressed the button and waited for the light to stop flashing, signaling it was set.

Dropping his hand Leo pressed the cover to the alarm panel back on before walking down the entryway to the main office area. Flicking on one small light by the reception area, Leo walked further in and opened the door to his office. Inside were some documents piled neatly the desk, some books on the shelf, and a laptop shut. Turning the room’s light on, Leo opened his laptop, logging in. He then set the documents from his jacket on his desk, opening them up to a random page. Then Leo stared at his phone, idling around on it, heart pounding heavily as the clock ticked down, closer and closer to Owain’s arrival time. With each pass of the minutes Leo’s heart rate spiked further and further up, until his heart had swollen upward, pressing in his throat, slowly suffocating him. It was only when a light from his phone burst, Owain’s message coming through that Leo’s heart burst in his throat, coating it with sticky, metallic blood. Gasping, Leo stood up and immediately shut his laptop, turning the lights off to his office. The timer was on. Leo pressed his hand against the door of his office.

Normal procedures of companies had them call the emergency contact when the alarm was tripped. Even though Leo worked in the office the call would go to Xander, thus his phone would not go off and disrupt him. If they waited for proper validation the estimated time for them to arrive significantly increased.

Not going to work. However, calling 9-1-1 himself could be risky. Even if he stayed on the line and followed silent instructions from the operator being hampered by holding a phone was not a good idea. Niles. Leo sent a small thought of love and appreciation to his husband before exiting his office. The building itself had five floors and multiple rooms. Plenty of room to avoid their pursuers. Plenty of height to also be thrown off. Swallowing thickly Leo walked to the side, avoiding the main entrance and instead taking a side hallway to the stairwell.

Climbing up the stairs to the fifth floor Leo carefully closed the door and walked down the dark hallway to the first office. Opening the door with a very soft click, Leo stepped inside, taking in the couches, sink, coffee machine, fridge, and short hall to the bathrooms. There was also a second door on the other side. Turning to the door he had just entered Leo locked it from inside, twisting the deadbolt. Then, he pressed his ear to the locked door. Even with Owain riling them up, making them act without thinking they wouldn’t want to cause undo damage to the office building, preferring to capture him silently and quickly. Hopefully, Owain could hold out for the proper amount of time.

Footsteps, soft but loud enough to be heard through the door jolted Leo out of his thoughts. Pressing himself closer to the door he closed his eyes, focusing on the sound. Breathing was rough and shallow before three knocks, short and shallow echoed on the door. Leo carefully gave three knocks back in reply. A long beat passed before the door to the other side was pushed open a crack and Owain burst inside, rushing to Leo’s side.

“They’re inside.” He whispered. “I made sure that they know I’ve fled and hidden in this building. Niles messaged me before I entered. He’s alerted emergency. We have about twelve minutes.”

Twelve minutes. Leo bit his lip. “They’ll not want to rough the building up in catching you but they’ll search the place. Timing is key.” He then stood up, swallowing. “This floor, the fifth, has rooms that require a key.” Digging into his pocket, Leo pulled out his keychain. “Take it.”

Owain pressed his fingers against Leo’s hand as he took the keys. “Are you sure?”

“As I said I know the place better than you. I can draw them to wherever I want. The key is to make it appear you’re attempting to escape. Egging them on is good too. If I can get them to be caught at the right moment…”

“Right.” Owain dryly swallowed, fidgeting slightly. “Good luck.”

“Same to you. And remember, if they do happen to see you there is a hard to find meeting room on this floor. Hide out there. No one can get inside unless they bust the door down.”

Owain stared at Leo for a moment, mouth opening but shutting when sound started to echo outside the room. Leo pressed a finger to his lips before he pressed his ear to the door. The sound of the men, mainly their footsteps, echoed down the hall. A rattling of the door echoed and Leo had to place a hand on his mouth to stop a startled gasp. They wouldn’t think too much of it. Most of the office doors were locked after all, but it wouldn’t stop them from checking all the rooms. That was fine. The moment they saw Leo in the dark they’d chase him. Blond hair was blond hair and even if they were suspicious to why the office building was unlocked, they wouldn’t waste time potentially letting Leo go. Taking in one very deep breath, Leo unlocked the door.

“Hide.” He whispered to Owain.

He waited ten seconds, silently noticing Owain scrambling to hide in no doubt the bathroom. Then, Leo opened the door and ran. Distant shouts echoed behind him but they were clearly following. Leo sharply turned a corner and mentally calculated his route. He’d need to weave through the building, taking the longest on the fifth and fourth floor. That way when he fled downstairs and they eventually caught him, hopefully angry enough to attempt to kill him, they’d be found by the authorities. Even if they paused upon seeing Leo wasn’t Owain it didn’t matter. Their intentions would be clear as day.

Steeling himself, Leo kept running down the hall. No doubt they were attempting to control the stairwell and elevator. They weren’t however, privy to the knowledge of the emergency stairwell, something Xander had insisted on in case the regular stairwell was also compromised. Skidding to a halt, Leo opened the door, which had a small but easily seen emergency exit image on it. Scrambling down the stairwell as fast as he could, hoping no one saw him too clearly in the lit stairwell. Huffing as he hit the door to the fourth floor, Leo slipped inside and raced mid way down the hall to the next room: photocopying. On the fourth floor it was in a small, soft “U” and connected to the mini maintenance room. Scrambling so he hid behind the photocopier but also near the exit, Leo waited.

His heart loudly pounded in his ears, the blood pulsing with each ragged breath. Squeezing his hand tightly, Leo pressed it to his chest, forcing his breath to even out. Checking his phone was out of the question, less the screen LED light give him away but if Leo had to guess he had less than ten minutes left. That guess was confirmed when the sound outside of the room started to get louder. Forcing himself to stand up, Leo pushed the door to the maintenance room and ran out.

“There he is!”

“Come back here, you brat!”

Good. Leo made his legs move, pushing himself to the main stairwell. Racing down the stairs once more, Leo stopped on the second floor, praying that they still hadn’t noticed he wasn’t Owain. Given the voices and sounds that had echoed behind him there weren’t too many people, maybe two following him, so the chances were high. As long as Leo could keep them after him… licking his lips, ignoring the dryness of his throat, Leo kept moving, leaning against the main stairwell’s exit for a second. Gasping loudly, ignoring the stabbing feeling within his lungs, Leo pushed himself. One more flight of stairs. The emergency stairwell’s exit lead near the entrance of the building. Pulling the door open with shaky arms Leo stumbled down the stairs, half flopping into the door as he forced it open. Now out in the main hall, Leo made motion to scuttle away from the emergency door but it flung open and within a split second he was pinned harshly to the ground, half on his side and half on his back.

Terror, sheer hot terror filled Leo’s lungs and heart. His brain scrambled. Did he buy enough time? Were emergency services going to arrive soon? How would they react? Would they leave him the moment they realised he wasn’t Owain? Worst case scenario would be if they simply ran away. Their limited knowledge of who they were would make it hard to track them down and then what about their time loop? Would it restart even if Owain wasn’t dead? Or would Owain have to wait in silent anxiety until they were properly captured?

Or other worse case scenario: Leo was killed. His heart nearly jumped out of his ribcage at the thought, sweat pooling on his palms. Gingerly, Leo pressed them against the cool linoleum of the floor.

“Wait, a fuckin’ second.” The man turned Leo over roughly, slamming his hand by Leo’s head, showing that if he wanted to, he could have hit him. “You’re not that brat.”

Leo’s eyes widened slightly. Wasn’t this… the man who threw him off the building? Anxiety, hot and deep burned within him. Leo shoved it down.

“W-Who?” Leo choked out.

“Don’t play dumb with me.” The man snarled as he stood up and pressed his boot on Leo’s stomach. “You wouldn’t have given us such a long chase if you didn’t have an idea.”

“N-No idea—”

Another kick to Leo’s side caused him to cough harder, tears forming at the corner of his eyes.

“Did you not listen to me?” The man then sighed and the sound of clothing shuffling filled the air before a small glint sparked off the knife in his hand. “Oh well. No matter. Even if you don’t know it’s best to get rid of you. Witnesses and all.” He offered a smile that was both parts patronising and mocking. “It’s nothing personal.”

The knife lowered slowly to Leo and time slowed, sluggishly moving as the wicked glint grew closer and closer to him. Time. What was the time? What if he hadn’t stalled enough and his timing was off? Leo tried to force his brain to calculate, but the knife drew his attention like a magnet. Instinctively his brain screamed for Leo to close his eyes or to move, to fight, but the exhaustion of running was catching up to him. He needed to move… to do something…

“Leo!”

A loud smack of another body hitting the man filled the air and the glint of the knife disappeared. Owain stood at Leo’s side, huffing and gasping, face red. Leo’s mouth dropped. What was he doing here? That wasn’t part of the plan. Energy burst within Leo and it helped him sit up and wobble to Owain, pulling himself up with shaky legs.

“What the hell are you doing?” Leo half gasped out.

Owain reached for Leo and pulled him up properly with one hand. “I couldn’t just leave you alone and hide.”

Leo opened his mouth to tell Owain that yes, he could but the man stumbled to his feet, knife still in hand.

“So, you were lying.” He hissed, rubbing his side with his free hand. “But no matter. You’re here.” The knife turned to Owain before the man ran over to them, closing the space between them swiftly.

White terror filled Leo’s mind, syrupy and sticky. Pushing Owain away from him, Leo stumbled forward, urging Owain to run with a scream so loud it was silent. Owain’s eyes widened and for a second he stumbled backward before he grabbed Leo’s arm and tugged him back, stepping forward as if he was going to protect Leo. Another scream erupted from Leo’s throat. They were so close. He couldn’t let Owain die and restart the loop again. Grabbing his wrist as a last effort, Leo tugged Owain back. The knife whistled through the air and the glint stretched outward followed by the smell of copper and iron. Owain stumbled a little, hand gripping his cut arm. Even under the darkness of the office Leo could see the bright red of his blood. His mind immediately blanked and, in that moment, Owain forced Leo to the side and reached out, grabbing the man’s arm, moving as though he wanted to reach further down, and grab the man’s wrist.

“Let me go!” The man yelled before adding some colourful insults. “I’m going to fucking kill you, boy.”

He pushed forward, as though he hoped that with enough force Owain would let go of his arm and he’d be able to move and stab him. Owain stumbled back and harshly against a wall, a wheezing sound escaping as the force clearly winded him. Leo scrambled to do something, anything, to stop the man from doing anything else. If he could just get the knife away from the man…

“Freeze!”

A loud voice filled the open space. Leo snapped his head towards the sound. For a moment the backlight of the day’s natural light blinded him but that passed as he took in the figure. His knees wobbled and collapsed, a deep breath of relief escaping his lungs before tears fell down his face.

The authorities. The proper authorities. They were here.

A flurry of movement around him was dull to Leo, but at some point, a blanket was placed on Leo’s shoulders and a warm but firm hand lead him outside, talking in a low, comforting voice to him. The noise was grey and fuzzy, nestling around him like a woolen blanket. Niles’s arms around him however, were very solid and real. Leo closed his eyes and leaned into his husband.

“I was so fucking close.” Niles whispered into Leo’s ear as he tightened his grip. “I was about to run in, use my archery skills to at least throw something at those bastards. Next time you’re not going to delegate me to driving, possible getaway, and alibi.”

Leo wanted to open his mouth to tell Niles that there wouldn’t be a next time. Instead, he half nodded and laughed into Niles’s shoulder. “Yeah, of course love.”

Niles pressed a very sweet kiss to Leo’s forehead, voice still low. “I gave the story and timeline. No one will suspect we set a trap for them.”

“Thanks.”

Another kiss was pressed to Leo’s forehead and Niles said something else but it was lost as another flurry of people came. Some people also prodded Leo gently, doing a survey of his vitals and what not. A statement was requested next and Leo barely remembered rattling off his story, heavily leaning on Niles to add further detail when needed. Exhaustion reigned over Leo but more important than the exhaustion was the fact that Owain was safe. They had saved him.

~

A few hours later and Leo found himself in the back of his car, Niles at the wheel. Sleep edged at the corners of his mind, coaxing him into a lull. A small part of Leo’s brain questioned where Owain was but exhaustion was strong and it shut Leo’s mouth. Closing his eyes, Leo nodded off, the motion of the car only helping aid him in half falling asleep on the ride back. Words were muted and it wasn’t until Niles parked their car in the underground parking that a bit of Leo’s thoughts were able to make it through.

“We left our car in the mall parking lot.”

“Yeah,” Niles cut the engine to the car, “Owain still has the key so we’ll just have to wait until later.”

Leo half nodded. “We saved him.”

“Yes, we did.” Niles turned to Leo. “And you’re exhausted. Time to shower and rest.”

Being clean and resting. Those words called to Leo and he desperately wanted to teleport to their apartment. Leo yawned. “Where is Owain?”

“They needed to take a look at his arm. Plus, they had more questions for him. I think.” Niles unbuckled his seatbelt. “Just sit tight. I’ll carry you up.”

Carry him. Leo’s mouth half twitched into a smile. Niles meant it too. Leo slowly unbuckled his seatbelt and attempted to open the door to his side. “I can walk.”

“Uh huh.” Niles got out and slammed the door to the driver’s side shut, “I don’t know if you can do that without tripping.”

Swinging his legs out, Leo attempted to stand up but he indeed wobbled forward, Niles’s arms catching him swiftly. Pulling him close, Leo suddenly lost his footing, Niles literally sweeping him in his arms, shutting the door with one hand. Clutching Niles’s shirt, Leo frowned.

“There really is no need for this.”

“I disagree. You nearly fell.”

“Then help steady me as we walk. Don’t carry me. What if someone sees?”

“I want to carry you.” Niles simply replied. “Also, let them see. All there is to witness is a strong, capable husband who definitely didn’t need to be sat on the sidelines during a crisis carrying his foolish but loveable husband.”

“… You don’t need to word it like that.”

“Just speaking the truth.”

Niles then hoisted Leo closer, curling his arms so he was cradling Leo’s shoulders and legs. Carrying Leo with ease, Niles hummed as they entered the building, pushing the button for the elevator. Thankfully no one was on the elevator or in the hallway. Once inside their apartment, Niles set Leo down, giving a wary glance as he took his shoes off. Leo followed suit, kneeling to take his off, legs still unstable.

“Can you walk to the bathroom?”

Oh, so now he was allowed to walk? Leo swallowed the words. There was teasing and then there was being rude. Niles cared for him. “Yeah, I can.”

“Okay.”

He still hovered over Leo, watching him walk to the bathroom. He even hovered by the door as Leo started to fill the tub for a bath but shut the door a second later. Standing for a shower didn’t feel appealing and soaking was the better option. Sitting heavily on the toilet seat, Leo peeled his clothing off, only now noting how some of it was damp from sweat. His lips twisted and Leo tossed his clothing in the corner of the bathroom. He’d put those in the hamper after. Wobbling up Leo got into the tub and sighed out. The heat of the water soaked up into him and the steam helped a knot that had formed in his stomach, one Leo hadn’t noticed, loosen. Flicking the water with his fingers, Leo leaned back, sunk in, and closed his eyes.

Safe. Owain was safe. They had really done it. The loop wouldn’t happen any more and relief was surreal. Granted the running around and nearly being killed wasn’t a walk in the park but objectively their plan had been so simple. Was the loop really done? Leo opened his eyes and shook his head. He couldn’t allow worry and fear to take over. He had to believe their efforts really worked. Forcing himself to allow the worry to float away, Leo sat and soaked until the water became significantly cooler. Then he washed up, drained the water, and got out. Now that he was clean his stomach grumbled, reminding him that breakfast and lunch had been light. Finishing drying himself off Leo walked out of the bathroom and poked his head to the kitchen.

Niles was already there, food cooking. His hair was pulled into a low ponytail and Leo could see the telltale signs of a quick shower. He must have used their second bathroom. Walking over to him Leo curled his arms around Niles’s stomach, resting his chin on his shoulder.

“Thanks.”

“Not a problem, Leo.” Niles pressed one hand on Leo’s. “It’s almost done. Fast and quick but it’s food.”

Food. That was all that mattered. Leo gave one final tight hug before stepping back and sitting at the table. Rummaging in his pant pocket, Leo pulled his phone out. He hadn’t checked it since they began their operation to save Owain. Pressing the power button Leo nearly dropped his phone, a startled gasp erupting from his mouth. There were so many missed calls and messages. Mainly from Xander there were also some from Camilla and Elise. Swallowing very thickly Leo’s heart pounded harder, the room spinning a little bit.

“Uh oh.”

“Leo? Something wrong?”

“Xander, Camilla, and Elise. I guess I sort of forgot the authorities would tell him about what happened at the office building.”

Niles stared at Leo for a moment before smacking his head with his hand. “Smartest sibling… huh.”

“Niles! You didn’t think of it either. I bet you have just as many messages on your phone.”

“Ah.” Niles turned to the cooking.

“That’s what I thought.” Leo unlocked his phone. “I better do some damage control.”

He then dialed Xander’s number. It barely took one ring before the line clicked. Leo’s heart jumped.

_“Leo!”_

“X-Xander. I missed your calls?” Leo internally winced. Way for him to state the obvious.

 _“You certainly did more than miss my calls.”_ Xander sighed but his voice lost the edge and immediately grew soft but firm. _“Are you all right? I heard what happened. I… I was so scared when I couldn’t get a hold of you.”_

“I…” Leo’s heart twisted very horribly. “I’m sorry. I was caught up with questioning and then exhaustion. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

Xander gave a very rough laugh, one filled with both mirth and relief. _“I know, Leo. Anyways, you’re safe and well, right? Could you tell me what happened?”_

“Yeah, I’m fine. I swear.” Leo swallowed. “And sure.”

Lying to Xander hurt a little bit but Leo kept his voice steady as he fed the same story to Xander that he fed to the police. Xander hummed to show he was listening but for the most part kept silent, listening. By the time Leo finished explaining dinner was done. Excusing himself from the phone call (but only after promising to phone Camilla and Elise later) Leo hung up and proceeded to inhale the dinner Niles made. When he finished Leo flushed as Niles told him to make the phone calls, that he’d do the dishes too. Thanking Niles with a kiss, Leo phoned Camilla and Elise. Their phone calls went relatively the same as with Xander. By the time he finished Leo was ready to lie down and rest. Yawning, Leo stumbled to their bedroom and flopped onto the bed, lying horizontally.

Sleep immediately came in a strong wave. Leo fell into the bliss of unconsciousness. When he woke up, easily two hours later, his mouth was very fuzzy, his clothing uncomfortable, and he was lying properly in the bed, Niles curled at his side, sleeping. Leo smiled and brushed Niles’s bangs back before standing up and getting ready for bed, washing up and more importantly brushing his teeth. Then, he returned to bed, snuggling into Niles’s arms, and drifted back to sleep.

He didn’t dream.

~

The next day was Sunday. Leo stared at his phone for a long, long moment before a laugh bubbled up from his throat. Soon it turned into full on hysterics, waking Niles up. Flushing, Leo forced the laugh down and swept into Niles, pinning him to the mattress, kissing him deeply. Niles ran his hands down Leo’s sides, resting naturally on his hips.

“It’s Sunday.” Leo muttered once he pulled away, lips shiny. “It’s Sunday! We saved Owain!”

“We certainly did.” Niles ran his thumb over Leo’s hips before he pulled Leo closer. “Kiss me again.”

Leo did as Niles asked and soon, they were both on their sides, kissing and holding one another. Niles’s hands were very hot on Leo and when they brushed bare skin Leo groaned.

They didn’t get out of bed for a while.

By the time they were up and moving the day was closer to noon and Leo didn’t want to move out of their apartment. Lunch was quick and Leo would have done nothing more than just sit with Niles and relax but a call to his phone from Camilla put a pin in those plans. It was understandable: they had been so worried and wanted to see him. Leo couldn’t even say he was indulging them when he agreed. He wanted to see them too. Bone crushing hugs and all. Scolding also happened but Leo took it with grace. Owain was safe and the time loop done.

Owain. Leo glanced at his phone. No messages. Nothing from Owain. Was it proper to text him now? Perhaps something simple like a message about the car? Leo’s fingers itched but ultimately, he left the message unsent. He’d message Owain once he was done hanging out with his siblings. Stuffing his phone into his pocket, Leo focused on the conversation with his siblings. An afternoon well spent.

It was only when they returned home that Leo remembered his plans to text Owain. Digging for his phone, Leo almost pulled up Owain’s contact information when a knock echoed on their door. Pausing, Leo scrambled to open the door they’d just locked. Standing outside was Owain. He had a bandage on his arm, a small bag at his side, and looked a bit pale but other than that he appeared fine. Leo’s eyes widened and he stepped back, offering a smile.

“Owain! I was just going to message you. Come inside.”

“Oh, look who the cat dragged in.” Niles said from behind Leo, his voice trailing softer as he made his way to the bedroom. “Hi, Owain.”

“Hello, Leo, Niles.” Owain shuffled in, twisting his hands in the bag. “I returned your car. I parked it in the visitor parking.” He then dropped the key into Leo’s hand.

“Thanks.” Leo curled his hand over the key. “What about your car?”

“Taken care of.” Owain swallowed. “I um. How are you?”

“I’m fine. You?”

“I’m… well I think I’m fine.” Owain’s hands twisted further as he wrinkled the canvas bag in his hands. “It’s so surreal. Today. It’s Sunday.”

“Yeah, it is. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“I am too.” Owain looked Leo in the eyes. “You and Niles saved me.” A few tears gathered at the corner of his eyes and he half laughed. “Oh, crap. I didn’t want to start the water works. I just wanted to thank you. Though my thanks cannot ever convey how grateful I am.”

“It really wasn’t a problem.” Leo insisted.

“Right.” Owain choked out. “You say that but I know it was a long, hard endeavour.” He paused and shook his head. “Never mind. I’ll just leave you two…”

“Wait.” Leo reached out. “Stay. For dinner. Unless you were about to go somewhere?”

“Oh, no.” Owain held the bag close. “I just got back from my parent’s place. Convincing them to just have me there for a day was challenging but I didn’t want to stay there.”

His eyes darted downward, words hanging unspoken between them. Leo opened his mouth before he shoved them down. Owain had gone through so much. Pushing him to speak wasn’t proper.

“I understand. I got at least the fifth degree from my siblings. They heard what happened at the office and I missed so many of their calls and texts.”

“Siblings?”

“Yeah.” Leo smiled. It was an easy topic and more importantly drifted away from what had happened. “Xander, Camilla, and Elise. I’m certain Corrin would also give it to me but they’re half way around the world traveling with their cousin, Azura. No doubt I’ll get a message later from them.”

“Tell me more about them.”

Leo opened his mouth and began to speak, leading Owain to the table. Niles returned a moment later and soon dinner was on, Leo this time standing up to help Niles as he chatted. Soon Owain joined and the three of them were nestled in the kitchen, cooking together. Warmth filled Leo’s heart at the sight of Owain and Niles smiling and laughing through their conversation. Even though technically Leo had only known for one day he couldn’t stop the happiness swelling within upon seeing Owain alive and getting along with Niles.

Dinner turned out wonderful and Owain offered to help with dishes once they were done eating. Content and full, Leo waited until dishes were dried and put away before putting some water on for tea. Owain seemed to get the message as he sat down with Niles on the couch, the conversation moving onto Niles’s job. Water for the tea finished a few moments later and soon all three of them were on the couch, holding hot cups of tea.

“Thank you again. For dinner and for the tea.”

“Not a problem.” Leo sipped his tea. “So, what are your plans for tomorrow?”

“Uh, well needless to say being targeted by a cult isn’t just something I go in and do one report. They’re interrogating them and I’ll need to come in again at some point in time. Probably for verification and other things. Not sure what else.” Owain tightened his grip on the mug. “The news will also go crazy once they hear this. Aunt Emmeryn is going to try and do some crowd control but sooner or later my story will end up on the news.”

Oh right. Leo pursed his lips. That was also bound to happen to him too. Poor Xander. He was probably working with public relations. Leo would have to not just thank Xander but help him out. Tomorrow. Leo would bring it up to him tomorrow.

“Being in the media’s eye isn’t fun, at least for something like that.” Niles sighed.

“You said it.” Owain nodded before he tightened his grip on the mug. “But uh, actually I also want to ask if you’ll do me a favour.”

Oh? Did Owain want them to come in with him for questioning? Leo mentally ran through their schedules. Niles would be more flexible in accompanying him but Leo could work something out…

“I…” Owain’s face turned a very dark red. “I was wondering if I could stay the night here.”

Stay the night? Leo’s eyes widened. Owain’s face somehow darkened more. “It’s just… sleeping in an empty apartment building is… uh… I don’t think I’ll be able to do it. So, um… if I could borrow your spare room? I even have my own air mattress! If… you’re fine with that.”

Leo flickered his gaze over at Niles who nodded. “Sure, Owain. We don’t mind. And we have our own air mattress too.”

Owain exhaled very deeply. “Thank you. Once more. Just… thank you.”

“It’s not a problem.”

~

Around three in the morning, despite the guest room being across the apartment, Leo woke to Owain’s screams. Bolting out of bed, Leo ignored the half-dazed Niles as he raced to their guest room.

“Owain, it’s me. I’m coming in.” Leo opened the door.

Owain was tangled in the blankets, his face gleaming with sweat, eyes wide as Leo walked in. He scrambled upward and swallowed very thickly, flopping back into the air mattress, burying his face into the pillow.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was very soft, muffled by the fabric. “Didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“Don’t apologise.” Leo sat down on the edge of the air mattress. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I…” Owain lifted his head slightly. “I don’t know. It’s nothing you don’t know about already.”

“Still. Talking about it can help.”

“Perhaps also over some tea?” Niles asked from the doorway, walking in. “We have some herbals that help with sleep and relaxing. Do you want some?”

“…thank you. Yes.”

“I’ll put the water on.” Niles said simply before he exited.

Leo stared at Owain for a moment before he stood up and extended his hand. “Come, let’s go to the kitchen.”

Owain stared at his hand for a moment before he took it and followed Leo to the kitchen. Niles already had some mugs out along with a blend of tea labeled “Organic Sweet Dreams”, which Leo remembered was a chamomile blend. Sitting Owain down at the table, Leo helped Niles prepare the tea before bringing it over. All three of them sat and sipped their tea. A long stretch of silence passed before Owain slowly began to speak.

He spoke until the tea worked through his system, lulling him into a light sleep. Leo smiled and watched as Niles picked Owain up, just like he did to Leo, and carried him to the guest room. Then, the two of them did a quick clean up before returning to bed, drifting back to sleep.

~

Owain left early the next day but within three days returned, fidgeting at their door, eyes very dark and lack of sleep etched on his face. Leo opened the door and welcomed him inside. That night Owain once again had nightmares, waking all of them up. Tea was brought out and Owain once again fell asleep at their kitchen table. He was carried back to the guest room by Niles. He apologised the following day but Leo brushed it off and Owain left after breakfast.

Ordinary routines had started up for Leo. Work was still happening and just like he’d predicted the news was covering their story, though definitely not in a very blatant way. The attention was still on them and Leo turned the news off the first time he saw their story pop up. However, what also slowly became a routine was Owain at their door, asking if he could stay over. Soon the air mattress was a permanent addition to their guest room and some of Owain’s items had migrated over. Leo didn’t mind. Who else was Owain going to confide fully in? He had to lie to his family, friends, and therapist. (Which, made sense. He had nearly been murdered of course he was going to have a therapist, whether Owain wanted it or not.) Only Niles and Leo knew the truth (Leo from first hand experience).

Suddenly their apartment had a third body and third voice at their table, in their space. Owain’s warmth radiated when he was happy, smiling, and his laughter filled every corner of the room. Leo slowly found himself easing into it, enjoying the days Owain stayed and worrying about the nights when he couldn’t sleep.

Soon, Owain became routine and comfortable.

And Leo couldn’t help but love it.

~

It was about a month of Owain being on and off in their apartment that Leo was once again woken up by Owain’s muffled screams. Slowly becoming less frequent they still hadn’t lost their intensity. Leo wondered how Owain’s throat was doing and vowed to buy some honey to add to the tea. Niles was already up, heading out of their bedroom door. Leo followed, groggy, but instead of entering Owain’s room he stopped in the kitchen. Owain was already there, eyes darkly rimmed and kettle in his hand, shaking.

“Here, let me.” Niles padded across and gently touched Owain’s shoulder. “The tea is in the bottom cabinet.”

“T-Thanks.” Owain shivered and walked over to the cabinet, pulling the tea out.

“Not a problem.” Leo went to grab the mugs. “Your nightmares are slowly decreasing.”

“Yeah.” Owain let out a rough laugh. “Therapist sent a request to the doctor for me to have sleeping pills prescribed. Doctor agreed but sleeping pills don’t stop the nightmares.”

Nightmares. Leo glanced down at the mugs and couldn’t stop the tinge of guilt that washed over him. Despite dying in one timeline the event wasn’t haunting him, but for Owain…

“Sorry, that’s a bit heavy.” Owain yawned and set the tea on the counter. “This does help a bit.”

“I’m glad.” Niles hummed. “We could let you know where we bought this blend—”

“Oh, uh no I mean, yes the tea helps but… being around you two also helps.”

Ah. Leo’s cheeks flushed a little bit and he smiled, the guilt slinking away. “Glad to hear that.”

The kettle whistled and steam rose up. Niles poured them some tea and put the mug in front of Owain. Leo gracefully accepted the mug, sipping his tea slowly. Owain, however took a sip of his tea and with a heavy arm and a yelp later the tea mug rolled on the table, the tea dripping down the wood and sticking wetly to Owain’s shirt. He immediately stood up, face very red as he scrambled to set the mug up straight.

“I… I’m so sorry.” Owain muttered, attempting to clean the mess up with his hands. “I tried to put it down and…”

“It’s fine, Owain.” Niles said from the kitchen, grabbing one of the dish cloths. “I got this. You however need another shirt.”

“Oh… yeah…” Owain glanced down. “I um… I’m fine.”

Leo raised an eyebrow. “Did you… perhaps only bring one sleeping shirt? Do you want me to give you one of ours?”

“Or you can sleep half naked.” Niles added. “Up to you.”

“I… I’d like another shirt. Please.”

“Okay. I got that.” Leo stood up. “Come, follow me.”

They went into the master bedroom. Leo flicked the lights on and went to the dresser, staring at the second drawer. Owain could fit in either one of their shirts but Leo had a few looser ones, usually opting to use old shirts to sleep in. Pulling one out, Leo tossed it to Owain.

“Try that one. If it’s a little tight let me know. I have some looser ones.”

“Thank you, Leo.”

Turning back to the drawer, Leo dug a looser shirt out, just in case Owain needed it and turned around. Owain had changed into the new shirt, which fit him fine. The tea stained one was on the floor, but Owain was asleep on the bed, chest slowly rising. Leo carefully set the shirt back in the dresser drawer and walked over to Owain. Waking him up wasn’t a good option, especially since he didn’t have a lot of sleep. He had also fallen asleep on Leo’s side. If he moved Owain properly he could sleep in the bed and Leo could take the air mattress.

“Leo?” Niles poked his head in. “Ah. It seems Owain has fallen asleep.”

“Yeah…” Leo moved Owain so he was under the covers, pulling them over him. “I can take the air mattress.”

“Or you could stay here in the bed.”

“You want to take the air mattress?” Leo turned to Niles. “Are you sure? I’d be taking your side.”

“No, I mean we should just share the bed. It’s big enough.” Niles said. “See?” He then walked in and flopped down on his side of the bed. “Come on. Moving to the guest room takes work.”

“It’s not that much…”

“Leo…”

Well… it was too early in the morning to argue… Leo nodded and flicked the light off to the room.

“Fine, just this once.”

Gently pushing Owain over a little bit more, Leo then crawled into bed, curling in the middle close to Niles. That way if Owain wanted to get out he wouldn’t have to worry about waking either of them up. Niles pulled Leo into his arms and soon sleep took Leo.

~

_“Thank you.” A female voice, soft and warm said in Leo’s ear. “Thank you for saving him.”_

_A glint of aqua and a flap of powerful wings echoed after the voice, leaving only a warm, bright feeling that nestled in Leo’s chest before bursting into a thousand stars._

~

Leo woke up with Owain pressed against his back, face buried between Leo’s shoulder blades. The tail end of Leo’s dream caught in the back of his mind but then faded off, like a string on a kite dancing in the wind. Leo frowned for a moment, attempting to chase the dream but gave up when Owain nuzzled his face into his back. Smiling to himself, Leo glanced out the window. Morning light softly filtered in but it was too early to be up. Closing his eyes Leo evened his breathing out and silently savoured the heat of Owain at his back. Owain gave a soft breathy snore and Leo couldn’t stop the swelling of warmth hitting his chest at Owain sleeping soundly.

Perhaps, Leo selfishly thought, this too could become a routine. For Owain’s health.

Of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hojicha: Roasted green tea. Very good. I like this tea a lot.
> 
> Niles's mild reaction: He did the entire "what the..." conversation on the elevator ride and walk back to the apartment. That's why he appeared so cool and collected when he returned. Plus, he didn't want to appear shaken in front of Owain.
> 
> The Loops: Owain had experienced two loops prior to Leo being aware of them. Basically I staggered Leo remembering the loops just because I wanted to have Owain experience more but didn't want to write Leo seeing them. This also means whatever power caused Leo to remember the loops only kicked in on Owain's third run through.
> 
> Emmeryn: In this AU she's alive and basically the leader of Ylisse. I kept the title of "Exalt" because I didn't want to use real world titles for world leaders.
> 
> The Office Building: I thought so long and hard about how to make them save Owain. I decided on this because it literally is them taking the setting to their advantage. I also apologise for having Niles outside playing a minor role in saving Owain. I did that because it helped me focus on just Leo in the building (and then Owain). Niles is not very happy about that though but given their short notice he didn't have time to think another plan out.
> 
> 9-1-1 call: I did a quick search and generally speaking you should hang up when the operator tells you and talk to them when they prompt you. However, there are emergencies where someone is unable to speak. Online tells me there are silent or very minimal verbal prompts they can ask people to do or even hit numbers on their phone. This however is just a quick search and different protocols can happen in different places.
> 
> Grabbing the wrist: I took one (1) class in basic self-defense with a friend years and years ago. One thing they told us was to keep an attacker's elbows straight and locked if they have a weapon (no motion to stab you with). Also, they talked about how to disarm someone's weapon by pressing down on someone's fingers as hard as you can in hopes it will force them to drop the weapon. I'm not an expert on self defense so just take this as a fact and not advice.
> 
> Sleeping pills: I asked my nurse friend and was informed that while therapists can recommend and even refer to doctors regarding prescriptions ultimately it's up to the doctor to approve of the prescription for the individual.
> 
> Leo/Odin/Niles: Sorry it's sort of subtle here. I honestly had some other scenes planned to have Niles and Owain spend more time together but this fic is already so long and drained me so much. Maybe later I'll write a few other scenes I have planned. But do know that Niles is growing fond of Owain.


End file.
